ElmEr Fannin a man with a Plan Spurred on by the success of trotter Kadealia and pacer mr wiggles, homebuilder Elmer Fannin added 24 yearlings to his holdings this fall, all in the pursuit of fun. By Kimberly a. rinker Photos by Karl richeson Photography Elmer Fannin has always been a man with a plan. This unassuming, 64 year-old long time Standardbred owner has done nothing less than quietly create a harness racing empire in the state of Delaware. Besides establishing a top stable of youngsters with longtime friend and conditioner George Teague, Fannin owns a first class harness racing training facility and is one of the leading real estate builders headquartered in America s First State. Born and raised in Phelps, Kentucky, a small coal-mining town located in the far eastern part of the Bluegrass State, Elmer spent his youth exploring the hillsides of his hometown along with seven brothers and one sister. We made the best of growing up in a difficult era, Elmer recalled. As youngsters, we worked at roadside fruit stands selling watermelon and in our spare time, we d roam through the mountains looking for paw paw trees. Other times, we d watch the little ponies which used to pull the coal out of the mines, and that s where I first gained a lot of respect for horses and what they could do. In 1963 the Fannin family moved to Grundy, Virginia and Elmer enlisted in the army at age 17, where he served as a buck sergeant with the First Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam for one year. When he returned home Elmer was stationed in New Jersey where he met his future wife Mary Ann. The couple
ELMER FANNIN: A MAN WITH A PLAN "Those early days in the business were not the most profitable, but they surely were the most memorable as far as the family goes, and having horses taught the boys responsibility at an early age. eventually married and settled in Delaware where they raised three sons, Michael, 42; Brent, 39; and Todd, 36, and started a family business, Country Life Homes, that has since flourished and thrived. When they were young, our boys were attracted to the horses and started racing harness ponies at the Delaware pony tracks on the weekends, Elmer remembered. They evolved from racing ponies to getting involved with the Standardbreds at the claming levels. We d ship to Brandywine, Dover Downs, Liberty Bell and Ocean City to race. There were a lot of little pony tracks around then and we d go there as a family, Elmer noted. It s a shame we don t have those anymore. There was a little track behind the Moose Lodge at Harrington where they used to race ponies. We started claming Standardbreds when the boys were in high school, he continued. Our first racehorse was a gelding named Real Lumber which we owned with our friend Raymond DeManche in 1974. We raced him at Dover and Harrington. He was a little claimer who won 25 races and earned $62,000 for us with a six-year-old record of 1:58.2. Another fun gelding we owned was Milano (p,1:57.2f $116,353) who raced at Rosecroft on the weekends. After he d race, the boys would stop at McDonalds and get something to eat and they would buy a burger for the horse, who would eat the entire burger but inevitably spit out the pickle on every occasion. Those early days in the business were not the most profitable, but they surely were the most memorable as far as the family goes, and having horses taught the boys responsibility at an early age. When his sons went off to college and their involvement in racing waned, Elmer continued his journey down the Standardbred ownership path, sandwiching in times at the racetrack between his various homebuilding duties. It wasn t always easy, and 50 years of hard work is tough to put into words, Elmer said. Sometimes I worked two jobs and many times that was seven days a week. Mary Ann also worked full time as a respiratory therapist when the boys were growing up and through their college days. It was during those early years that Elmer often crossed paths with trainer George Teague, Jr. I ve met many wonderful people in the horse business and have had enough success to keep me interested, mostly from the enjoyment of racing and friendships I ve made, Elmer explained. George (Teague, Jr.), who I refer to as my fourth son, was someone whose company I always enjoyed and shared funny stories with over the years. George likes a good funny horse story and every time I needed to be bailed out of a situation with a horse or trainer, George was always there for me. Elmer and George didn t partner up, however, until the fall of 2005. We were standing around the ring at Harrisburg after I had purchased some raceway horses and I asked George if I could partner up with him on a horse named The Iceman Came, which I liked, Elmer recalled. The Iceman Came later passed away after making a little over $80,000, December 2009 The Harness Edge
Holiday Season Our Best Wishes for the Photo by New Image Media ALL SPEED HANOVER A sincere thank you is extended to our many clients for your wonderful support which contributed greatly to another successful year for the stable. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! NOEL DALEY STABLE
ELMER FANNIN: A MAN WITH A PLAN but later I brought Kadealia down for him to train and he won the Breeders Crown with her. Elmer had spotted Kadealia as a yearling at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg, PA in the fall of 2006 and liked what he saw. She was a clean legged filly with a long barrel and particularly long legs, Elmer offered. In addition, she was very well mannered and for $19,000, I felt it was a great opportunity to have a trotter in my stable. At the time, my trainer was George Dennis and he broke Kadealia and raced her as a two-year-old. But it was in her sophomore year that she really began improving under George s management. In 2008, Kadealia would earn $532,181 under Teague s watchful eye. When the filly captured her final event of her sophomore season, the $500,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot at The Meadowlands on November 29, Elmer almost didn t make it to the track in time. Stuck in traffic, he barely made it to the Big M clubhouse before the daughter of Kadabra - New Ideal left the gate at odds of 75-1. I told George I ll just keep my coat on because we will be in the winner s circle soon, Elmer laughed. We both laughed at the time, but that statement turned out to be true! Prior to her Crown triumph, Kadealia had won the $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on a miserable The Kadabra mare Kadealia, who Fannin purchased for $19,000, went on to win the Ontario Sires Stakes Super final and the Breeders Crown and has just over $600,000 in life earnings. night at Woodbine, paying over $125 for a two dollar win ticket. In total Kadealia has won $603,052 for Elmer to date. You couldn t ask for a more perfect owner, Teague said. Elmer s a very easy person to get along with and he doesn t ask why or what happened when a horse doesn t do well; he s just not the kind of guy who ever gets upset. I think I m more upset if a horse doesn t race well than he is. We were friends for many years before we partnered up on the horses, and I just can t say enough good about Elmer. When Elmer decided to forgo his raceway stock to concentrate on stakeseligible youngsters, he wanted George to take command of his yearlings. Initially, it was a tough decision to move from overnight racing to the stakes, Elmer admitted. Basically, I was Photo by New Image Media Season s Greetings To my owners and staff I wish to offer my appreciation for your support this past year. May 2010 bring health and happiness to all. TONY O SULLIVAN STABLE CODE WORD p,2,1:51.3s-'09 ($201,090) OSS Super Final Winner New Image Media December 2009 The Harness Edge
Merry Christmas! To Helen Back p,3,1:49.4s ($1,149,905) A special thank you is extended to John Pentland, Lyle MacArthur, Jim McGugan, Bill Hutchison and their staff for a wonderful 2009 season. Best wishes to everyone in racing in 2010. Mike & Anne SHUNOCK MERRY CHRISTMAS To All I WONT DANCE 3,1:54.3s ($393,442) OSS SUPER FINAL WINNER From Asa Farms, Per Henriksen and Ann Karin Larsen The Harness Edge December 2009
ELMER FANNIN: A MAN WITH A PLAN starting over with a new venture with nothing racing and a new training scheme, but I ve enjoyed quite a bit of success with George s training of the young horses these last few years. Elmer and George both take an equal share when it comes to picking out young horses at the fall sales. When we go to the sales, George will take a list of horses that I have complied with my sons, based on the bloodlines and past performances, Elmer explained. George will then take his knowledge on the soundness, conformation and what he knows of the horses families and we ll head to the auction. We ll end up with a few yearlings and it s George s job to prove them out as a trainer. It s my job to go to the races, have dinner and get my picture taken in the winner s circle. Elmer said his tough raceway horse Make A Success, p,1:50.3f ($623,381) gave him many happy moments, but his biggest thrills have come more recently with the likes of Mr Wiggles (p,3,1:49.1f $1,064,989), Chasin Racin (p,3,1:51f The Badlands Hanover colt Mr Wiggles took in just over $1 million during his sophomore season in 2009 for Fannin and Teague. $522,249) and Johnny Z (p,3,1:51.1f $262,737). Collectively, these three have earned $1,684,101 for Elmer this season. Johnny Z was named Pocono s Horse of the Year based on his ability and his victories there in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Elmer said. But my biggest thrill this year had to be when Mr Photo by New Image Media PUT YOUR INVESTMENT IN GOOD HANDS Park Insurance A Division of Equine athletes are always at risk and like any other valuable asset, they need to be protected. Park Insurance has the knowledge and experience to help you protect those investments with the best possible coverage at competitive rates. Call Jeff Ruch or Ray Bednarz for a free no obligation quote. 260 Nebo Road, Hamilton, ON. L8W 3K5 Tel: (905) 575-1122 Fax: (905) 575-4250 1-800-265-9933 December 2009 The Harness Edge
Our Best Holiday Wishes for Season the Photos by New Image Media Mr Wiggles p,2,1:53.3f, 3,1:49.1f- 09 ($1,030,725) $500,000 Hoosier Cup Champion Fancy Filly p,2,1:51.1f- 09 ($840,926) $500,000 Three Diamonds Winner & $628,178 Breeders Crown Champion A sincere thank you is extended to our clients and staff for a truly wonderful season of racing. Best of racing in 2010. George & Brenda Teague Stable
ELMER FANNIN: A MAN WITH A PLAN Wiggles won the $100,000 Delaware Final at Dover. For weeks and weeks he had been hanging on a left line and George had been messing with his bridle, working on changing things to get him to travel straight. One day, after George changed a few more things around with him, he was just suddenly straight. We always knew he had a lot of speed, but that one little thing changed him into traveling straight and he was a racehorse from then on. Elmer hasn t been shy about delving into other aspects of the harness racing industry either. A little more than a decade ago he combined his business skills with his racing passion by purchasing a local training center. Located only 15 minutes from Dover in Cheswold, Elmer s Brookside Farms is a 200 stall facility that offers two indoor equine pools, an equicizer, a half-mile stone dust track and numerous outdoor paddocks. It is managed by Elmer s wife, Mary Ann. When it came up for sale, I bought it and refurbished it, Elmer stated. It s very convenient as it s close to Dover and we have a lot of local horsemen who are based there. Because our family s homebuilding business has been so successful, we ve been able to stay involved in the horse racing industry on many levels over the years and the training center is just another aspect that has worked well from a business standpoint. Besides Brookside Farms, Elmer s family business has expanded to include condominiums, townhouses and single family detached homes, morphing Country Life Homes into Delaware s leading family-owned homebuilding corporation. So where does all this leave Elmer Fannin today? It seems he is still a man with a plan and one who is forever looking to improve the sport he loves so much. One issue we face today in horse racing is involving young people and families in our sport. Financial support is one arm of horse racing but having a crowd cheering and sharing the thrill of victory is what will drive the sport to success, he stressed. Even though casinos have brought money to our sport with better purses, I feel the tracks have focused less on the horses and in attracting families to the races. My family looks forward to the many friends that gather on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons to see trotters and pacers compete on all levels, Elmer continued. Now I see more emphasis placed on simulcasting, wagering, and gambling and less on making sure the sport grows and sustains the many livelihoods in the sport. We need fans and families to come to the track and enjoy what the horses and horse racing has to offer. If we lose that, then we lose the reason why we needed the casinos. Elmer s involvement and commitment to racing hasn t gone unnoticed by his peers either. Elmer is a rarity in this sport because you never hear him say a bad word about anyone, Teague, Jr. said affectionately. When you re around an owner like Elmer who loves the horses so much, it s a unique situation. He s the kind of guy that racing desperately needs in this day and age. And besides that, Holiday Greetings Congratulations to everyone who made 2009 another successful year of racing in Atlantic Canada. P.O. Box 128 5 Gerald McCarville Dr. Kensington, PE C0B 1M0 (902) 836-5500 Merry Christmas Gail MacDonald & Ronota Baglole Track Photographers at Charlottetown Driving Park December 2009 The Harness Edge
Royal Becquet p,1:51s ($350,870) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Joyeux Noël et bonne année the Allard Brothers Simon & Rene Photos by New Image Media
ELMER FANNIN: A MAN WITH A PLAN he s a fun person to be around and is always trying to enhance the sport in any way he can. I can t say enough good things about Elmer Fannin, said Judy Davis-Wilson, executive director of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund. Besides the investment he made with Brookside training center and all of his racehorses, Elmer has dedicated himself to enhancing harness racing in the state. Our sport could definitely use a few more people like him. The sport is too much about the gambling and not about the horses anymore, Elmer stated. The people are so detached from the horses nowadays and in many cases can t even get close to them at the racetracks because of the way the tracks are built. It s so sad for the younger generation that they really aren t able to experience racing the way we used to 20 and 30 years ago. Instead of racing 15 races a night for $5,000 and $10,000 claimers we should race ten races and take the rest of that money and apply it to making the sport more friendly and accessible to the public. Within three and a half hours of Delaware we have 40 million people, 25 per cent of the population of the United States live in this area, he stressed. So you have the potential to draw thousands of people to the tracks. That s a lot of families who could get into harness racing. Outside of the horse industry, Elmer continues to enjoy the family business that he has slowly turned over to his three sons. My wife and I get great satisfaction from having our three sons all complete college and join our company, he noted. With their knowledge they can take the business to a level greater than what we have been able to do on our own. It s a wonderful feeling to be able to send your children through college and then work with them, sharing the education of everyday life. I ve enjoyed my experience as an entrepreneur in the construction business, providing several hundred homes to good people throughout Sussex County, Delaware, Elmer acknowledged. Being in the development of a small beachside county provides you with the added satisfaction of being able to run into a lot of customers in stores, restaurants, at school functions, etc. with the grandchildren. Never one to stand idle, Elmer continues to work on his latest plan which he says is my last venture before retirement; a 200 acre medical research park set to include a hospital and medical mall where all services will be performed in one pleasant setting, complete with coffee shops, cafes and hotels. As well, this fall Elmer purchased 24 yearlings during his jaunts to the Lexington and Harrisburg sale venues, and said he is looking forward to seeing them progress in their training and racing endeavours in 2010. I don t golf or do any other sport really, Elmer admitted. In the future I d like to have some good colts that could go on to be top stallions and I d like to be involved in the breeding game, not in a big way, but modestly and stay at that level. I ll always be involved in the sport as I just love to have conversations about the horses. That sounds like a plan. Holiday Wishes OUR ASSOCIATION EXTENDS TO YOU Holiday Greetings WITH EVERY GOOD WISH FOR THE NEW YEAR! NOTRE ASSOCIATION VOUS SOUHAITE DE Joyeuses Fêtes AVEC TOUS NOS MEILLEURS VOEUX POUR LA NOUVELLE ANNÉE! Special thanks to our staff, clients and friends for making 2009 a wonderful year. PAT, ANNA & JUSTIN MEYERS National Capital Region Harness Horse Association Visit us at www.ncrhha.ca December 2009 The Harness Edge
We are proud to have offered many outstanding individuals, including the highest priced yearling sold at any 2009 sale Hip 99 The Queen (Andover Hall-Bold Dreamer) She was consigned by Peninsula Farm, Agent for Valley High Stable and purchased for $360,000 by Jeffrey Snyder. A special note of appreciation goes to Carter Duer and the Peninsula Farm staff for another excellent job of prepping the yearlings, and raising them as babies, and to David Meirs and family of Concord Stud Farm for foaling them. From Thanks to all those who took the time to inspect and bid on our yearlings at Harrisburg. We wish the best of luck to all those fortunate enough to take them home. Bill Weaver