John Hayes (harness racer)
Encyclopedia
John G. Hayes was a harness racing
driver/trainer/owner.
Born in Oshawa, Ontario
, Canada
, he was the son of a dairy farmer who went on to become a prominent figure in harness racing and the first Canadian to be selected to the Little Brown Jug
's Wall of Fame. His greatest accomplishment was in training horses in particular when he developed the great champion, Strike Out
.
A long time director of the Canadian Trotting Association, for ten years John Hayes served as its president and was Vice-Chairman of the Ontario Racing Commission.
The managing partner of Beejay Stables in Oshawa, it had been Hayes' lifelong dream to win the Little Brown Jug
. Famous for having told a newspaper reporter: "I'd rather win the Little Brown Jug than go to heaven," when he died in 1998, the Little Brown Jug itself, won by Strike Out in 1972, was placed at the head of his casket.
In 1991, John Hayes was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
.
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
driver/trainer/owner.
Born in Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he was the son of a dairy farmer who went on to become a prominent figure in harness racing and the first Canadian to be selected to the Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (horse racing)
The Little Brown Jug is a harness race for three-year-old pacing standardbreds hosted by the Delaware County Agricultural Society since 1946 at the County Fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio. The race takes place every year on the third Thursday after Labor Day. Along with the Hambletonian, a race for...
's Wall of Fame. His greatest accomplishment was in training horses in particular when he developed the great champion, Strike Out
Strike Out
Strike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
.
A long time director of the Canadian Trotting Association, for ten years John Hayes served as its president and was Vice-Chairman of the Ontario Racing Commission.
The managing partner of Beejay Stables in Oshawa, it had been Hayes' lifelong dream to win the Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (horse racing)
The Little Brown Jug is a harness race for three-year-old pacing standardbreds hosted by the Delaware County Agricultural Society since 1946 at the County Fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio. The race takes place every year on the third Thursday after Labor Day. Along with the Hambletonian, a race for...
. Famous for having told a newspaper reporter: "I'd rather win the Little Brown Jug than go to heaven," when he died in 1998, the Little Brown Jug itself, won by Strike Out in 1972, was placed at the head of his casket.
In 1991, John Hayes was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
.