Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Personalities of the Month
for December 2006

Lee & Linda DeVisser

Lee & Linda Devisser bought their first horse in 1982--a Chicago-based horse whom they claimed for $20,000 named Meadow Pizzazz. Now this Holland, Michigan couple have become among the sport's leading breeders and owners.

Lee & Linda DeVisser

“My mom and dad were harness racing enthusiasts in Michigan and always wanted to own a racehorse,” Lee said. “So I bought them a horse they could follow. We had a lot of fun with the horse, and I think we even made a couple of dollars.”

Lee DeVisser, a second generation Norwegian, previously was a partner in Aspen Enterprises, which operated 14,000 mobile home sites. He is also a Director of the Hambletonian Society.

After their initial venture into the sport of harness racing they bought a trotter named Florida Jewel, who became a top international competitor.

First teamed with Michigan trainer Jerry Mohr, they later shifted to trainers Nat Varty, Tommy Strauss and Chris Christoforou in Canada, Joe Seekman in Michigan, Dewayne Minor in Florida and Joe Holloway in New Jersey.

The DeVissers bred their mare Five O'Clock Cindy to 1990 Horse of the Year Beach Towel and the result was their now well-known son Jenna's Beach Boy, who dominated the pacing ranks throughout his two, three and four-year-old seasons. They also had the top distaff performer those same seasons in She's A Great Lady. Later, the DeVissers bred their two champions, who then produced the standout filly Lady Macbeach--who was a champ in her respective division.

They also have owned part of the top trotter Kadabra, Dontgetinmyway, Queens Over, Emma Hanover, Lotsa Cloud, Armbro Nest, Three Olives, Susie's Magic, Kikikatie, Dr Drew, For The Luva Moni, and Malabar Mist, etc. But Lee Devisser has often stated that "Jenna" was certainly one of his favorites, if not his all-time favorite horse.

"There are two great races that Jenna went," Devisser has said. "One, of course, was the Alfred E. Driscoll at The Meadowlands when he won in 1:47.3. The other was when he went 1:48.4 at The Red Mile. I heard all those local fans, and so many people traveled down from Michigan to watch Jenna's Beach Boy--people that I didn't even know were following that horse. When the timer at the three-quarter pole was 1:19.4, everybody in the stands--the whole crowd--went "WOW!" You could just hear that."

The Devissers expanded their breeding interests, and besides Jenna's Beach Boy, also stand Dontgetinmyway in Indiana and Memphis Flash in Ohio. Some of their top broodmares include
Armbro Temple [3,1:54 ($406,901), a Garland Lobell daughter who won the 2000 American-National], Armbro Nest, Poster Princess, Noifsaboutit and Emma Hanover, 4,1:56 ($282,214), the 2002 Aged Trotting Mare of the Year.