Dr. Glen Brown passes, age 88

Dr. J. Glen Brown, member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame, passed away on Friday, May 13 at the age of 88.

For many years, Dr. Glen Brown was regarded as one of the most influential and hard-working executives in North American harness racing. Born in New Liskeard, Ont., in 1933, Dr. Brown graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1957 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Surgeon degree. His late father, James W. Brown, also a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, was a racetrack and horse auction operator who bred and raced horses under the name of Glendale Farms.

Dr. Brown continued to use the Glendale name in his own breeding operation. He realized every harness horseman’s dream in 1981 when his Fan Hanover became the first filly to capture the Little Brown Jug and go on to win Horse of the Year honours. Fan Hanover was inducted into Canada’s Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.

In 1958, Dr. Brown became farm manager and veterinarian for the fledgling ABC Farms started by Elgin and Ted Armstrong in Brampton, Ont. He would go on to become General Manager, President and eventually Chairman of the Board of the world-class breeding facility in Inglewood, Ont. He retired from the Armstrong Board in 2005 after nearly 47 years with the company.

Dr. Brown served as a member of the Ontario Racing Commission from 1973 until 1984 and served as its Chair of the Horse Racing Breeding and Advisory Board, the body charged by the ORC with implementing the newly approved Ontario Sires Stakes program. He also served as president of the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society, a director of the Ontario Harness Horse Association and Harness Racing Communications and president of the North American Harness Racing Marketing Association of Canada.

In 1974, Dr. Brown received the Canadian Trotting Association’s “Executive of the Year” award. He was inducted into the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame, was president of The Classic Series Limited, a Director of The Hambletonian Society, the E.P. Taylor Equine Research Foundation and Trustee of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y.

In 1985, Dr. Brown was elected to the Board of the Ontario Jockey Club and continued in that position with Woodbine Entertainment. For most of his term on this Board, he chaired the Standardbred Racing Committee. He served as President of the Kentucky Standardbred Sales Co., and as Chair of the Ontario Agriculture and Horse Racing Coalition.

Survived by daughter Lynne Hague (Bob), sons James Brown and Douglas Brown (Tammy), and grandchildren Jenna Hague, Alex Hague, William Brown and Christopher Brown.

A full obituary is to come. As per Glen’s wishes, there will be no funeral service.

From Standardbred Canada, with files from the CHRHF