Rick Wilson, 47, decided to become a jockey based on the suggestion of Dr. W. P. Lerblance, the man who attended Wilson's birth in McAlester, Oklahoma. At 12, Wilson started his career riding Quarter Horses at area bush tracks and at 19, in 1972, scored his first official victory at La Mesa Park in Raton, New Mexico. After moving his tack to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and concentrating on Thoroughbred racing, Wilson continued to head east, where he has been based ever since. Wilson has been a multiple leading rider at Philadelphia Park, Garden State Park, and Monmouth Park.