DRIVER BIOS FROM THE 1950s & 1960s

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William M. Myer.
Born in Bridgeville, Delaware on May 19, 1916.
Along the Eastern seaboard, the name Myer is almost synonymous with the word harness racing.
Available records show him winning 10 starts in the 1939 season, the first year the USTA was formed.
On many occasions his purse earnings topped the $100,000 level, and in 1967 had 189 wins for a total of $854,746, which was 5th in the National rankings.
Leading driver at Laurel in 48.
Major races won include:
Batavia Downs in 1966 with "Toledo Hanover"
Battle Of Saratoga in 1966 with "Romeo Hanover"
Roosevelt Fut. in 1965 with "Romeo Hanover" (world record time of 2:03)
W.N. Reynolds in 1966 with "Good Candy" (world record time of 2:04h)
Sheppard in 1965 with "Romeo Hanover" (world record time of 2:03 2/5)

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Louis A. Rapone.
Born in Caledonia, New York on July 9, 1925.
Living near the fairgrounds in Caledonia led Lou Rapone to his vocation.
Former schooling for the jockey-sized reinsman ended with grade school, and schooling in his vocation started immediately.
As a 13 year old he held his first full-time job in the sport grooming for Mark Kyler, later moving to the Carl Hatchell stable before being called into service.
He served with the Navy, in the European theatre from 1944 to 1946 participating in the Anzio, Palermo, and Normandy landings as a seaman aboard an LST. He was injured during the Palermo landing and was hospitalized for six months.
Discharged in 1946, Lou returned immediately to the sport, purchasing his first horse "Flaxey Girl" and making his first drive later that year at Batavia. His second start produced his first winner.
Credits Billy Haughton, Del Miller, and John Simpson as having been particularly helpful to him in solving the problems that developed from time to time with his horses.
Listed "Bold Colby", and "Grace Frost" as the top trotters he has handled, and "Pole Adios", and "Jimmy Norman" his top pacers.
Leading driver at:
Buffalo Raceway in 59
Major races won are:
Californian in 1964 with "Pole Adios"
Reynolds in 1959 with "Friendly Hal", and In 1963 with "Meadow Lou"

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Eddie T. Wheeler
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 24, 1932.
An agressive driver, with quick reflexes, whose horses were always well-conditioned, Eddie Wheeler is proof that horsemen can come from Brooklyn.
One on eight children, Ed was born in Brooklyn, grew up there, and attended Holy Cross High School.
Somehow, despite his location, Ed developed a great love for horses which led him to the standardbred industry.
He first spent a three year apprenticeship as a groom then, at the age of 17 he made his first drive, at Phoenix, and later that same year scored his first win with "Miss Della B" at Freehold Raceway.
A tipoff to his ability is provided by his record of sub 2:00 miles.
Among the horses that Ed handled were "Duke Rodney", Gold Worthy", and "Meadow Skipper".
Leading driver at:
SA in 58, 59
Hol in 58
Brdwn in 63.
Major wins include:
American National in 1963 with "Big John"
Hanover-Hempt in 1965 with "Adios Hostess"
Volomite in 1967 with "Kerry Pride"
Yonkers Fut in 1961 with "Duke Rodney"

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Delvin G. Miller.
Born on July 5, 1913 in Woodland, California.
One of harness racing's great careers started in Burgettstown, Pa., in 1930.
That's where Delvin Miller drove his first race while still in High School. A year later, at Carrollton, Ohio he scored his first win with "Rene Direct", raced timed in 2:09.
Since then there has been only one interruption in the great career that Del was carving, that a three year tour with the U.S. Army, serving with a Remount Battalion in the China-Burma theater. His Asiatic Pacific Campaign ribbons included two bronze stars.
Delvin's in-sport credits are legion. He was among the select few to score more then 2,000 wins from the formation of the USTA in 1939 to the end of the 60'S.
He marked over 50 horses with their first 2:00 mile during the 50'S and 60'S.
He has won nearly every major stake, and has led the nation's drivers one or more times in every category save one, leading dash winner for a season (He had a second).
Delvin drove races in France, Italy, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
He owned and operated the Meadowlands Farm.
Delvin, at one time or another, held over 20 Major World records with horses the likes of "Tar Heel", "Dale Frost", "Adios Betty", Stenographer", and "Tarport Jimmy".
Leading driver at:
Yonkers in 1957.
Wolverine of Kentucky in 1966.
Del has won more then 100 major races in his career. Here are but a few:
Acorn three times with "Lively Lady" in 1952, "Stenographer" in 1953, and with "Delicious" in 1962.
American Classic with "Dottie's Pick" in 1956.
Messinger twice with "Meadow Lands" in 1951, and with "Countess Adios" in 1952.
Greyhound Stake with "Mighty Fine" in 1950.
Cane Fut. with "Countess Adios" in 1960.
Battle Of Saratoga with "Campbeltown" in 1962.
Miller Memorial with "Knight Patrol" in 1955.
Yonkers Fut. with "Duke Of Decatur" in 1960.

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Garland J. Garnsey.
Born in Jefferson County, New York on April 4, 1909.
Never operating a large stable, this veteran began to attain national stature in the late 1940'S, reaching top-25 standings as a race winner for five seasons.
Glen reached the 1,000 win milestone mark before the end of the 60'S.
"A good race driver who can sit still", is one horsemen's appraisal of Garland Garnsey, who through the years developed a reputation as one of the best horsemen in upstate New york.
His special pride was his son Glen, who attained national rankings in his own right, and provided the Garnsey family with the honor of having harness racing's first father-son combination on the USTA'S list of thousand race winners.
Leading driver at:
Saratoga in 51
Buffalo Raceway in 53.
Major races won include:
Batavia Downs with "Brevity Hanover" in 1953.
NYSS with "Clever Ward" in 1966.

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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"

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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".

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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".

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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.
 

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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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