Horseman Wayne Hyatt passed away on May 26, 2016, at the age of 69.
Hyatt worked with harness horses from the time he was a young teen. He was working under Ezra Eads when got his USTA licenses to train and drive horses. He also worked for horsemen Harry and Gene Pownall, and handled Leslie Lobell for George Berkner.
Hyatt was the farm manager for Mr. Joel Black's Killydonnell farm, at Sahbra Farm in Ohio, for Ed Ryan in Pennsylvania, and for Dr. Nick Loutsion's farm in Canonsburg, Pa. He also operated a small stable, racing mostly at Northfield Park.
Hyatt retired from racing in 1995 and moved to Texas with two broodmares and raised a number of nice horses, usually selling the yearlings in Canada. During this time he also attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He also worked as a corrections officer in the Texas prison system for a number of years until he broke his neck in a wreck returning home from Pinehurst, N.C., where he had been working for several winters.
Hyatt is survived by his wife of 32 years, Lura Bradbury Hyatt; two sisters, Holly Clark of Albany, N.Y., and Windy Schaffer of Corpus Christi, Texas; step-daughters Lisa Bradbury of Gary, Texas, and Penny Brooks of Henderson, Texas; two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Wayne Hyatt.
(Harnessracing.com)