Ryan Dickey

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio (Sylvania, more precisely), I started following harness racing at the now-defunct Raceway Park in 1991. I attended Bowling Green State University, and started there as a Sports Management major. In 1994, I turned 21, and won $500 on a trip to Las Vegas (where my family now resides), and decided I needed to live there. I attended UNLV. I worked in the sports wagering industry--first with a handicapping service, then as an assistant supervisor at the Las Vegas Club race and sports book. My love for Thoroughbred racing started there, but was cemented in 1997, when I attended the Santa Anita Derby. The horse that finished that race in second place was a gray colt by the name of Silver Charm. To this day, the near-Triple Crown winner is my all-time favorite racehorse. And you see me pictured here with him in May 2015 at Old Friends Farm in Kentucky. I moved to the Detroit area in 2002 (finally finishing my bachelor's degree at Siena Heights University in 2007), and became a full-time firefighter/paramedic. But I still had a love of sports, and began writing: first about fantasy football, then about sports wagering (under a pseudonym). Then, I started writing about horse racing--my true love. I cover local high school sports and community events in the Dearborn/Dearborn Heights area, as well as Downriver. I've had nearly 400 articles published over the years (in print media and online) and look forward to writing hundreds more. I will be covering the Detroit Lions for Detroit Sports Nation.