Graeme Mitchell, whose boundless enthusiasm for harness racing enlivened racetracks in Ontario and Quebec for almost five decades, died Tuesday, Oct. 3 at his home in Ottawa, just months after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He was 72.
Profiled in the October issue of TROT Magazine, Mitchell served the industry in a number of capacities over the years, among them handicapper, racing analyst, reporter, publicist and promoter.
Initially involved in the sport in his native Montreal, where an early visit to Richelieu Park ignited a passion that never ebbed, he relocated to Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa when racing folded at Blue Bonnets racetrack 15 years ago.
In addition to the many hats he wore within the business, he also was a racehorse owner. As fate would have it, the best horse in which he had a stake — two-year-old pacer T H McMurry — emerged in the year of his passing.
He never did get to see him compete in-person, but did visit the horse at the barn.
"That horse kept him alive. Even before he knew he had cancer, he'd go over and watch him train. And he played with that horse, something he never did with any other," said Beth Briggs, Mitchell's wife of more than three decades.
She was working at a bank in Montreal and had never been to the track when Mitchell, a client, invited her to the races.
They cashed some tickets, had some laughs, and he and horse racing would be part of her life from that day forward.
"He was passionate about horse racing, it was his world, and he did more to get people to the racetrack than anyone I ever met," Beth said.
Longtime Canadian racing journalist Harold Howe said what stood out to him about Mitchell was how unselfish he was.
"There are a lot of takers in the game, but he was a giver," Howe said. "He genuinely wanted the game to do well, to grow its audience. He went out of his way to bring people in, to help get the message out, to make it better. He'd do that in a multitude of ways...pick somebody up at the airport, help get photos, share story ideas, start bus shuttles. Anything he could do to grow the sport. It wasn't about him. He contributed a lot, in ways that often go unrecognized. He'll leave a big hole."
On its Facebook page, Rideau Carleton Raceway said it was deeply saddened by his passing of the man who, until July, had been its TV analyst, handicapper and publicist.
Graeme Mitchell is survived by Beth, their five daughters — Tanya, Melanie, Sheena, Jessica and Courtney — and six grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held on Monday, Oct. 9 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Kelly Funeral Home (Walkley Chapel) in Ottawa.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Graeme Mitchell.
(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)