Monty  B. Pratt January 15, 2003                                                  Click here to return to VWHS Class of 1974 Memorial Page This is a newspaper article from the Ocala Star-Banner, Florida, dated Thursday, January 16, 2003, regarding the automobile accident: Fellowship, Florida -- Sheree Clark always worried about her boyfriend, Monty Brian Pratt.  The winding roads Pratt took to work in the pre-dawn hours every day made her uneasy, but their routine was always the same.  Pratt, 47, would give her a ride to her job as an exercise rider at about 6:30 a.m. before heading off to a number of area farms, where he took care of horses. About an hour after dropping Clark off at Newcastle Farm on Wednesday, Pratt, a former jockey, and his 9-year-old son Forrest were killed in a two-vehicle traffic accident on County Road 464B -- the same road that had always worried Clark.  Pratt, of Sparr, was driving Clark's 1988 Toyota pickup truck west on CR464B when, for unknown reasons, the truck veered across the center line and collided into an eastbound 1999 Ford Econoline E 150 van, Florida Highway Patrol officials said. Forrest, a fourth-grader at Anthony Elementary School, was sitting next to his father when the accident occurred.   Pratt had decided to take Forrest to work with him because Wednesday was a half-day for Marion County schools.  Both died on the scene, officials said. The passengers in the van, Sharon F. Linakis, 57, and her 8-year-old granddaughter, Amber L. Linakis, both of Morriston, were also injured in the accident, officials said.  Amber and her grandmother, who were both wearing seatbelts, were transported to Munroe Regional Medical Center, where they were treated and later released.  Forrest was wearing a lap belt, but his father was not wearing a seat belt. Clark said she was about to exercise a horse when someone came to the farm and told her about the accident.  "This is a very dangerous corner, and every time he travels on it, I always worry about him," said Clark, whose eyes were filled with pain as she pointed at the road.  "Right now, I can't believe he's gone.  His son, oh God, his son." School District spokesman Kevin Christian said the school's principal, together with a counselor, told Forrest's class about the accident then made an announcement to the school.  "A counselor, school psychologist and a social worker, were on hand to help students cope with this terrible loss," Christian said. "It was pretty hard on the students, and his teacher was pretty shook up about it."  Christian said a counselor will be available for students or faculty members who may want counseling. While officials were investigating the scene, Pratt's father, Paul Pratt Sr., showed up, wanting to see his son.  A Marion County sheriff's deputy and an FHP official intercepted him, hugging and consoling the grief-stricken father. "I just wanted to see my son and grandson," said Pratt Sr., wiping away tears.  "He always called me Dad-Dad," Pratt Sr. said about Forrest, "almost every weekend, I would get him and we would go fishing."  Pratt Sr. said Forrest loved swimming in his pool.  "He would throw pennies in the pool and then dive after them. He was good at it, too," he said.  "I had just bought him a Go Kart for Christmas." Pratt's brother, Paul Pratt Jr., who also was on the scene with his wife Gail, was shaken by the news.  "I'm numb right now," Pratt Jr. said. "My brother was a go-getter all his life. Now I can't believe he's gone." According to the Jockey Club, in Lexington, Ky., Pratt rode in 60 winners in nine states -- including New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida -- from 1982 to 1995. Pratt also was a Quarter Horse jockey who rode two winners from 32 mounts.  Though he never rode a stakes winner, Pratt's mounts earned $223,023.  From 1991 to 1995, Pratt rode sparingly. "My son had so many injuries -- from a broken neck to cracked ribs, busted arms and legs. He had a rough life," said Pratt Sr.  Donald Buckley, owner of Buckley Farm, said the couple rented stalls at his farm, where Pratt also trained three horses.  "Monty was a pleasant guy, a hard-working man who comes to work every day," Buckley said. Austin L. Miller covers public safety and can be reached at austin.miller@starbanner.com or 867-4118. Author: AUSTIN L. MILLER, Staff Writer Copyright (c) 2003 Ocala Star-Banner Ocala Star-Banner (FL) - January 19, 2003: OCALA - The Florida Breeders Association has set up a fund in honor of former jockey Monty Pratt and his son, Forrest, who died in a car accident on Wednesday. Contributions may be made to the Monty Pratt Fund c/o Dick Hancock, Florida Breeders Association, 801 S.W. 60th Ave., Ocala, Fla. 34474. Click here to return to VWHS Class of 1974 Memorial Page