Joe McLead elected to the Hambletonian Society Board

At the Annual August Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Hambletonian Society, Joe McLead, co-owner of Sugar Valley Farm in Delaware, Ohio was elected to the Society Board.

McLead, 51, comes by his harness racing heritage as a third-generation horseman born and raised in the hotbed of the sport, Delaware, Ohio, home to the classic Little Brown Jug. Sugar Valley Farm was founded in 1968 by McLead’s grandfather, Dr. Dale Walters, DVM, who stood the stallion Sugar Tree for many years.

Though McLead initially gained valuable horsemanship skills under the auspices of his uncle, Billy Walters, and toyed with a future as a trainer/driver, he knew as a young man he wanted something more. McLead met his future wife, Patty, on a blind date, and soon after the couple attended the Little Brown Jug, which was won by No Pan Intended. Coincidentally Patty had a familial connection to the breeder of the eventual Triple Crown winner, who was her cousin, Joe Thomson of Winbak Farm. Shortly after they were married, Thomson asked McLead to come help manage Winbak, one of the most prolific Standardbred nurseries in North America.

The time spent at Winbak was invaluable experience and also honed McLead’s desire for the stability and long-term investment and planning involved in the breeding side of the industry. McLead, Patty and their son William (now a junior in high school) returned to Sugar Valley Farms in 2012, becoming a co-owner with his uncle in the farm that stood four stallions.

Ten years later Sugar Valley boasts seven of the top sires in the Buckeye State, including Downbytheseaside, Creatine, 1:46 pacer Lather Up, and Catch The Fire. They own 20 of the 40 mares that reside at the farm, and McLead, who spent 12 years on the Delaware Fair board is proud of the advancements made in Ohio in the last decade. He is currently a director of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, a member of the executive committee, and head of the Breeders Committee.

“Thanks to the efforts of a lot of people, we are pretty solid in Ohio right now,” McLead remarked. “We have great group of board members that think alike and who see that the overall purpose of OHHA is to boost and grow the industry throughout every aspect of the industry, right down to free health insurance for the caretakers, who are an important asset.”

McLead was co-owner of Impinktoo, ($423,860) still the fastest 3-year-old filly trotter, with a record of 1:49.4 that she shares with Plunge Blue Chip, and co-breeder/owner of many other champions, including Herculisa ($647,525); Harambe Deo ($409,854); Gulf Shores ($653,270); and Ants Marching ($124,543.)

“The Society’s executive committee is tasked with recommending directors when there is opportunity on the board, said John Campbell, president and CEO of the Society.  “The board chose an excellent candidate in Joe McLead, whose experience and dedication to growing the sport of harness racing is a welcome addition.”

The Hambletonian Society is a non-profit organization formed in 1924 to sponsor the race for which it was named, the Hambletonian Stake. The Society’s mission is to encourage and support the breeding of Standardbred horses through the development, administration and promotion of harness racing stakes, early-closing races and other special events. The Hambletonian Society services 153 of harness racing’s richest and most prestigious events at 13 different tracks, including harness racing’s most prominent race, the $1 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters, its filly division, the Hambletonian Oaks and the sport’s championship series, the Breeders Crown. The organization was responsible for the disbursement of more than $23.5 million in purses last year and has processed 59,166 individual payments in 2023.

by Moira Fanning, for the Hambletonian