For years, Larry Johnson was a regular at racetracks across southwestern Ontario with the majority of his starts taking place at his home track of Western Fair. In fact, Johnson was named Western Fair's Owner of the Year at its 2015 banquet.
According to Clinton Raceway General Manager and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer Ian Fleming, Johnson has been sidelined since 2017 after suffering a stroke.
"When I started going to the races in London, there was Larry, his brother Brad and his dad Alvin," Fleming told Trot Insider. "They were stabled at the big barn at Western Fair and they raced around southwestern Ontario their whole life. Larry raced a horse in Clinton in August 2017. He was coming home and when he got back to the farm he suffered a stroke. At the time they thought he wouldn't be too long, they thought they'd be able to get working on it but it's been a lot slower than they thought. He thought [then] he could work through it."
Larry Johnson (third from L) beside his late father Alvin after a win at Western Fair with Broadwayforsure
Johnson, who had campaigned the likes of Panedictine, Unchained Desire and Broadwayforsure, has now lost the ability to move the right side of his body. His wife Betty created a GoFundMe page so that friends could help offset some of the home care and financial challenges that have befallen the Johnsons.
"There are a lot of people that raced horses in Ontario that think a lot of Larry," Fleming added.