Earl Lauer says Rick Dutrow was an excellent athlete

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Bet many of you didn't know that the Rick Dutrow, Saturday's winning trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Big Bown, is a former wrestler. <br><br>I taught Ricky Dutrow -- now known as Rick --at Clarksville Middle. Rick was a former member of The Intramural Wrestling Champions from Clarksville Middle School during the 1972-73 school year. <br><br>Both Ricky and his younger brother, Chip, were outstanding athletes as youngsters. Their older brother, Tony, was a bit closer to the racing and training scene that the elder Dutrow was into during the 1970's and 80's.<br><br>Tony attended Atholton, but later pursued his own training ambitions with the horses.<br><br>The younger two brothers enjoyed all types of athletic activities at Clarksville Middle. They participated in flag football, basketball, wrestling and track. <br><br>We had middle school track championships during those days, and the Dutrow's were major contributors. Both were extremely quick and were among the best long jumpers in the school.<br><br>They formed major parts of relay teams as well. I can tell you for sure, the were easily two of the best athletes in the school. Both were our national association presidential award winners.<br><br>At the time, I held a huge intramural wrestling tournament. We would have a three week unit in class, and then hold the eliminations after school. When we got down to the finals, the principal let me have an "all school assembly" for the finals.<br><br>The entire school would attend with 400-500 screaming kids in the stands. The principal presented trophies to the finialists. It was a great atmosphere. <br><br>I found another picture of the finals with Ricky wrestling Mark Healy, who went to Howard and was a Howard County, two mile champion.<br><br>You can see Ricky (on the bottom) was strong as well as Mark. They were both monster athletes for their age.<br><br>I use to drive the boys home from intramurals. They went on to Atholton, but opted for the horse track instead of the running track.<br><br>I guess in the end it all works out. <br><br>Now, as the trainer of Kentucky Derby winner, Big Brown, Rick -- and I probably need to call him that now -- has a much bigger trophy to put on his mantel.<br><br><br>Note: Earl Lauer, 59, is a retired former wrestling coach who still heads up River Hill's cross country and track programs. <br><br>Lauer is closing in on 40 years of coaching, and his past includes having been a physical education teacher at Clarksville Middle School in Howard County. <br><br>There, Lauer had among his students, Rick Dutrow, who, on Saturday, saddled the horse, Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby.<br><br>Lauer shared with DigitalSports some of his thoughts and memories of Dutrow's early days as an athletic middle school youth.

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