Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Personality of the Month
for June 2008

Dana Irving

Dana Irving was a trainer-owner-breeder, who is perhaps best known as the breeder of world champion, $2.6 million winning pacer Red Bow Tie.

Dana Irving

Irving started out life as a potato farmer in Presque Isle, Maine--but always had a fondness for Standardbreds, and became a USTA member in 1962 for the first time. After moving to Chester County, Pa., a few years later, Irving began plying his wares full time as a horse trainer and gained a reputation as a very crafty horse buyer and seller.

His first breeding farm was located in New Oxford, Pa., and he later also stood stallions at his Trenton, Fla., facility. One of the first stallions Irving acquired was Harold J--who at the time was in training in the Billy Haughton Stable. Irving thought Harold J would make a perfect match for his southeastern Pennsylvania mares, and he was right. For over ten years, many of the winning youngsters of both genders at Brandywine, Liberty Bell, Delaware and Maryland were sired by Harold J.

When Irving moved to Jennersville, Pa., Harold J died and Irving bought interest in the stallion Scarlet Skipper, one of the sport's top freshman at the time, who went on to have a successful breeding career after being injured at age 3.

Irving also stood the stallion Raging Glory at his Florida farm--once part of the Castleton Farm empire. Raging Glory was the sire of Red Bow Tie, who Irving trained as a 2-year-old, amassing 12 wins in 17 starts for earnings of $129,476. Red Bow Tie finished third in a 1996 Woodrow Wilson elim and but did not fare well in the final. Irving trained Red Bow Tie back at 3, but then sold him to Robert Suslow just prior to his sophomore campaign.

Irving had also trained and co-owned the top troter Butch Lobell (third in the 1979 Hambletonian) and the top filly trotter Rae (the Merrie Annabelle Trot winner of 1998).

Irving was married for 60 years to his wife Joanne, who share his passion for horses, as well as his sons Dan and Don (who continues to run his Ocala, Fla., farm to this day). Sadly, Irving passed away in February 2006.