Brian Embleton, lifelong horseperson and former general manager of Fredericton Exhibition and Raceway in New Brunswick, passed on Sunday morning (Dec. 27) after battling lung cancer. He was 67.
The Fredericton, N.B., native served as the general manager of his hometown racetrack during its heyday from 1979 to 1999, when it offered dozens of race programs a year and attracted full fields and robust attendance and wagering figures. He was instrumental in promoting harness racing in New Brunswick's mainstream media, and he assembled the race which produced the Maritime Provinces' first sub-2:00 mile — a race won by Clipper Seelster in July 1982.
After his two decades at the helm of Fredericton Raceway, Embleton turned his attention to training, assisting the likes of Carl Jamieson and Bill Robinson in Ontario before returning home to operate his own small stable and winning 95 races.
Embleton reprised the manager's role one last time in 2017, joining forces with his successor, Brent Briggs, to present a special matinee program at Fredericton Raceway, dubbed "Fredericton Raceway 130."
"That's something the two of us did together side-by-side, just like we used to do," Briggs told the CBC. "We had kind of come back to work together one more time. That's my most significant memory."
Briggs related that Fredericton Raceway enjoyed its greatest success under Embleton's leadership:
"Its greatest achievements took place while he was the manager ... There's no question about that."
Embleton, who was born on March 1, 1953, to the late Russell and Myrtle Embleton, is survived by his longtime companion, Nancy Green; daughter, Kari Granlund, of Red Deer, Alta.; son, Ryan, of Lindsay, Ont.; sister, Linda Carroll; son-in-law, Brad Granlund; and grandchildren, Brody, Logan and Everly. He was predeceased by his wife of almost 25 years, Nancy Embleton (née Duncan).
A Celebration of Life is planned for a later date given the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fredericton Hospice House, through Bishop’s Funeral Home.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the friends and family of Brian Embleton.