“Quite often I look around and I say to myself: 'My life was wasted.' I spent all this time trying to keep something going and now it’s gone.”
A democratandchronicle.com article by Jon Hand features the story of the rise and fall of the highly successful Rodney Farms and Galbraith Stables, operated by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer Clint Galbraith and his wife Barbara.
The article chronicles the decline of the Galbraiths' harness racing dream that included the success of Barbara's father's mid-century world champion trotter Duke Rodney and Clint's Hall of Fame pacer Niatross. Today, their once world-class horse breeding operation is struggling with a farm in need of major repairs.
According to the article, their dream crumbled due to a suffering economy and poor financial decisions, a failed business partnership and a serious head injury suffered by Clint that kept him from advancing in plans to turn things around. The couple's Scottsville, N.Y. stable is in debt and they face an inevitable lawsuit, but continue to work 14-plus hour days as they have for decades with hopes of getting their operation running again on a smaller scale.
“I admit to making a few mistakes along the line, but the majority of the reason we are where we are is because of things we couldn’t handle," said Barbara. "I mean we can’t control the world.”
To read the article, click here.
Class People All The Way! I
Class People All The Way!
I purchased a number of horses off of Clint & Barabara in the early 1990's
and had them shipped to Alberta. All were purchased over the phone sight unseen.
Two of the most honest and trustworthy horse people I ever had the pleasure of knowing. Class folks all the way !
This is a very sad chapter in
This is a very sad chapter in the life of one of the best horseman to ever come out of Canada, and one that disturbs those who recall this man .Clint began his lengthy and highly successful career on the small town tracks across Ontario, along with his father Grant . He won his first race in the summer of 1956 at Old Woodbine behind a family the owned Kalmuck Direct ,a horse that lost his life in a tragic fire at Batavia Downs a few years later . His discovery and development of the great trotting mare Helen Brooke K elevated his career and sent him on a journey that escalated to the top of the sport .He was the author of some of the truly great moments in the sport with the likes of Niatross and Call For Rain .Hopefully there will be better days ahead for Clint and Barbara .
In reply to This is a very sad chapter in by Looking Back
My father and I visited
My father and I visited Rodney Farms in the late 1960s to purchase a yearling; it was a showplace, a gorgeous up-to-date facility in a beautiful setting. It saddens me to hear of the plight of the Galbraiths and the deterioration of this property.
In reply to My father and I visited by Caline
I sure hope there is someone
I sure hope there is someone or some organization that can step in and help a great couple who have been involved in harness racing for so long.Like the saying goes except for the grace of God there goes you and I.
This story must resonate
This story must resonate strongly with many in Ontario who are suffering the same hardship(and can't control the provincial politicians let alone the world). Also most in Harness Racing in Ontario have never had a World Champion let alone two.
Sad story---nobody worked any
Sad story---nobody worked any harder than Clint used to. I remember winters at Ben White Raceway in Orlando where Clint had a stable over 100 horses. Clint was the first trainer on the track at 6 a.m. & the last trainer on the track too & sometimes would ship four hours to Pompano to qualify/and or race; plus I would often see come back in the evenings to check on his stable.
Sorry to hear of your
Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Clint's Sister Lou was married to my uncle Allen's youngest brother Ray.
Uncle Allen has passed away but never forgot the terrible accident that claimed Lou and Ray's life.
Hope by some miracle you are able to have some luck