General Category > Nostalgia

DRIVER BIOS FROM THE 1950s & 1960s

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Harry W. Burright.
Born on September 26, 1916.
Harry was from one of the premier midwestern harness racing families.
He and his brother Eugene are probably the only brothers ever to finish in a winning dead heat, as they reached the Maywood Park finish line simultaneously with "Bookmar", and Dennis Widower", September 28, 1956.
Career highlights include, topping all dash winners in 1948, when He posted his first 100+ season, and scoring a career high 183 wins in 1961.
Top horses included "Rexall Boy", "O.F.Brady", and "Irish Hal"
Became only the 7th driver in USTA history to win 2,000 races in 1968.
Leading driver at:
Aurora Downs in 48, 50, 51.
Maywood in 49, 51, 59, 61.
Sportsmans Park in 51.
Cahokia Downs in 57.
Kentucky Raceway in 57.
Egyptian in 67.
Major races won include:
Chicago Pacing Derby in 1950 with "Charming Scott"
Illinois State Fair in 1957 with "Anna Reed"

Admin:
Howard F. Beissinger.
Born in Hamilton, Ohio, on May 16, 1923.
A third consecutive Beissinger to enter into harness racing, Howard graduated from Hanover High, where he lettered in basketball and baseball before going into the sport on a full time basis.
He drove his first race in 1946, and that same year got his first win with "Lady Argo" in 2:07 plus, at Falmouth Kentucky Fair.
He's known for his ability to drive all types of horses, and was rated an excellent reinsman with the ability to rate his horses well.
Howard was also known as an exceptionally clean driver.
He operated a public stable after serving several seasons as head trainer for Byron D. Kuth.
Howard owned a 100 acre farm in Hamilton, Ohio where his main hobby was rodeo activities.
Howard held three major records in the 60'S with "Widower Creed", "Right Time", and "Tarport Lib".
Leading driver at:
Maywood in 54, 55.
Spk. in 54, 55, 56, 57.
Wstn Harn in 57.
Lexington (Wolv) in 65.
Major races won include:
Ohio Governor's cup in 1962 with "Talent Scout".
International Pace in 1960 with "Widower Creed".
Illinois State Fair in 1957 with "Lakedale Sis", and in 1967 with "John L. Purdue".

Admin:
Gene Riegle.
Born in Greenville, Ohio on June 3, 1928.
Gene is "out of a harness racing family" His father was a well known reinsman, His brother Dick was a nationally known manufacturer of driving sliks.
Gene always concentrated on quality. He was never ranked among the top race winners since 100+ win seasons became commomplace, but his UDRS was often among the top 25 for a season, and only twice in the 50'S and 60'S had it slipped below the .300 mark.
He was well known as an excellent colt developer. Some of his best were "Don Parker", "Bank Time", and "Tolson Hanover".
Gene winter trained at Greenville, Ohio, and raced a large stable throughout the midwest.
Leading driver at:
Maywood in 55.
Spk in 62, 63.
Nor in 54.
Fox Val in 63, 65.
ScD in 67.
Major races won include:
Gotham Trot in 1959 with "Mr Saunders".
Governor's Cup Ohio in 1967 with "High N Away".
Ohio State Trot in 1966 with "High N Away".
American National in 1958 with "Mr. Saunders".

Admin:
Donald H. Busse.
Born in Portage, Wisconsin on June 6, 1918.
Don not only posted 201 wins in 1963 to lead the nation, but with his 201st win, became the 25th driver to score 1,000 wins since the formation ot the USTA in 1939.
His father before him, Hugo Busse, a German immigrant and a brother owned standardbred horses, leading to his career in the sport, which started in 1933.
For many seasons he combined working on the family farm and mechanical work with agricultural machinery, with county fair driving. A serious accident with a farm tractor in the early 40's, as a result of which he lost a lung, nearly wrote finis to his career before it even got off the ground. Three fractured vertebrae in a raceway accident at Maywood Park in the fall of 1959, hardly slowed him down at all, as he broke the 100+ win barrier the following season.
Don rated "Roxburgh Bob" as his fastest horse, "Pharaoh" as the gamest, and "Frisky Al", a trotter as his best all-around performer.
Leading driver at Maywood in 1960.
Major races won"
Illinois State Fair with "Private Bud" in 1963, "Honey Reed" in 1964, "Reed's Cathy" in 1965, and "Princess Randolph" in 1966.
 

Admin:
James Dennis.
Born in Rexburg, Idaho on May 9, 1923.
The Dennis family was known throughout the Country; Father, Noah, Warren, and uncle, Ted, a brother, and Jim kept the Idaho-Dennis name in the public eye.
Amateur driving at fairs, contesting in rodeos, and a stint with the U.S. Air Force, 1943-46, preceeded Jim's first professional drive in 1948, which, by the way, resulted in a walk into the Santa Anita winners circle with his horse, "Perklan".
Dennis fractured many barriers with such fine performers as "Ozark Chief", "Widower Creed", "W.D. Direct", "Silver Song", "Caduceus", "Shadydale Monitor", "War Councel", "Leader Pick", "Adios Vic", and "Perfect Freight".
Dennis winter trained at Del Mar, California, and found time to pursue his golfing hobby.
James won the "Best Driver" award at the 1958 Western Harness Spring meet, and held a top position on the WHRA leading driver list for three consecutive meets in 1961, and 1962.
Leading driver at:
Chgo Dns in 64.
Egypt Trot in 65.
Hol in 60.
SA in 66
Was in 66
Major races won include:
American Trotting Champ. with "Perfect Freight" in 1967.
Good Time Pace with "Adios Vic" in 1967.
U.N. Trot with "Perfect Freight" in 1967.
Horsemen Fut. with "Adios Vic" in 1965.

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