Québec racing has lost one of its most active boosters with the passing of Michel Leduc, age 63, on Tuesday (Jan. 12).

Leduc was a racehorse owner and longtime organizer and Standardbred Canada representative on Québec's regional racing circuit, which had inducted him into its Hall of Fame.

"We've lost a major figure," said Paul-André Lavigne, president of the regional circuit. "He was dynamic, outgoing, full of ideas, and really helped establish our circuit."

Originally from Montréal, Leduc had moved to the Gaspé region in recent years and was active in the organization of the regional circuit races in the town of Nouvelle.

In 2020, he contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for a time in Québec City. He was released and went back to the Gaspé, but other health complications forced a return to hospital.

"He'd been sick for a while, but that's not something he wanted to talk about," Lavigne said. "What he wanted to talk about was racing. That​'s what lit him up."

Gilles Fortier of the provincial horsemen's association, ATAQ, spoke with Leduc by telephone during his hospitalization.

"He was so devoted to racing, always ready to lend a hand, always present," Fortier said.

Funeral plans are still indeterminate.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the friends and family of Michel Leduc.

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)