Trot Insider has been informed that Standardbred breeder/owner Grant Russell Wilson, formerly of Granton, Ont., passed away on November 9, 2018 in Sarasota, Florida at the age of 79.
Wilson had been an avid breeder and owner of hundreds of Standardbred horses that were bred, raised and trained at his Wilson Farms in Granton, Ont. Grant was an astute businessman in the automotive manufacturing industry in the London, Ont. area, as he owned and operated GRW Industries and Wilco Tube Canada.
Dustin Jones and Dave Wall were two of his former trainers and they assisted Wilson in developing and campaigning the successful horses Ideal Wilco, Wilcos Time, Wilcos Bonus, Wilcos Derby, Wilcos Fantasy, and Wilcos General.
Wilson served as a Constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 1960-65 and played professional football for the Edmonton Eskimos. Wilson also served on multiple boards, such as the Automotive Advisory Boards for Prime Minsters Trudeau and Mulroney, as well as Junior Achievement of Canada.
Upon Wilson’s retirement, he chased the warm weather living out of his RV or with his children in Grand Bend, Ont., Lexington, Kentucky, and Sarasota, Florida.
Grant is survived by his daughter Lee (Wilson) and Steve Garland (KY), his son Jeff Wilson and Amy Berlin (FL). He is also survived by his former spouse, Patricia Vaughan. He found great joy in his two grandsons, Malachi Garland and Micah Garland, to whom he was ‘Knuckle Sandwich Poppy.’
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Grant Wilson.