Joe O’Brien dies

Press, 10 October 1984, Page 36

Joe O’Brien dies

Joe O’Brien, one of the greatest light harness horsemen of modem times, died last month at his home in Stetford in the United States. He was 67. O’Brien, who represented the United States in two World Driving Championships, including the series in New Zealand and Australia in 1975, drove the winners of 4285 races and more than $2O million in stakes. However, it was as the driver of two-minute miles that he shone. He took 319 horses to two-minute miles, almost double the total of his nearest competitor. A native of Prince Edward Island, O’Brien got his start in his homeland where he still shares with Clint Hodgens the all-time 4 record of 11 wins in one

day. O’Brien achieved that feat in Truro Raceway, Nova Scotia. O’Brien quickly established himself in the United States with such top horses as Meadow Pace and Diamond Hal, and he did not let up in spite of bouts of illness in recent years. He drove Scott Frost, the first two-year-old, either pacer or trotter, to gain a two-minute ranking. He was also associated with Fresh Yankee, the first Americanbred horse to top $1 million in stake-winnings. Others with which he was associated included Steady Star, Flower Child, the first two-minute trotter in Europe with Imin 58.4 s in Sweden, Nero, Armbro Flight, Flight Director and