Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Personality of the Month
for December 2009

Col. Richard West

A native of Kentucky, Col. Richard West was born on February 26, 1819. Following in his father's footsteps, he chose the occupation of farming. When his father died in 1851, West was deeded a portion of Edge Hill Farm located in Georgetown, KY. Aspiring to own the entire farm, West bought the other shares owned by his brothers and sisters, eventually increasing the farm to 523 acres.

Col. Richard West

In 1868, West began breeding trotters. Requiring a strong foundation stallion, he set his sights on Immortal R.A. Alexander's four-year-old stallion Almont, despite his high price of $8,000. This decision soon proved highly beneficial due to the esteem and wealth that Almont brought to Edge Hill. When West sold Almont seven years later, he had become such a well-respected stallion that General W. T. Withers of Fairlawn Stock Farm gladly paid $15,000 for him.

To replace Almont, West leased Dictator for the next two years. Although Dictator only stood at Edge Hill for a short while, the offspring he produced included Phallas 2:133/4, the first trotter to lower Smuggler's eight year standing record of 2:151/4; Jay-Eye-See 2:10, the first 2:10 trotter; and Director 2:17, a great racehorse of the day and founder of the sire line through Direct 2:051/2 - Direct Hal 2:041/4 - Napoleon Direct 1:593/4 - Billy Direct 1:55 – Tar Heel 1:57, which ranks as one of the harness world's greatest speed families.

Due to the national economic turmoil of the late 1870s, West was forced to sell Edge Hill in 1880. He moved to Lexington and purchased Orchard Park Farm. To this new farm he took Egbert, the leading sire of 1889, and Robert McGregor, the sire of Immortal Cresceus. Both of these stallions were standing at Orchard Park when West passed away in 1887.