Trot Insider has learned that veteran horseman Orval Sleeth passed away with his family by his side on August 9 at the age of 92.
Sleeth was born on April 26, 1920 in Estevan, Saskatchewan and moved to eastern Ontario with a boxcar full of horses in May of 1939. He bred, owned and raised horses in addition to training and driving.
Sleeth raced in Kingston, Ont. and Quebec in the 60s and 70s. He also raced in Toronto, London and Windsor and most Ontario tracks as well as many U.S. tracks. He moved from the Kingston area to the Windsor area in 1974 when he married his wife Nancy.
A recent highlight for Sleeth was being honoured at Windsor Raceway for his 90th birthday and receiving many cards and emails, along with caps from trainer-driver Rick Zeron and his fellow horsemen.
As per Sleeth's wishes, there will be no funeral or memorial.
Anyone wishing to send condolences or share a story, which the family would draw comfort from at this time, please email [email protected].
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Orval Sleeth.
My condolences go out to
My condolences go out to Orval's family . I did not know him well but remember visiting with him years ago on the backstretch at Leamington . He always had a smile on his face and a good word for everyone . No one enjoyed the sport more than Orval and that was true regardless of where his horse finished . His son, the late Bobby, was quite an accomplished teamster at one time and made his way out to California where he enjoyed considerable success. The last time I saw Orval was at a local Fair and despite losing his eyesight he gave you the impression that he still knew you and listened intently to every word .