from the Farrington family

Richwood, OH — Hall of Fame horseman Robert G. Farrington, 85, died Oct. 13, 2014, at his home in Florida from a heart attack.

The family will receive friends from 1-5 p.m. at Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home in Richwood, Ohio, on Sunday (Oct. 19). Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. on Monday (Oct. 20), with interment at York Cemetary.

Mr. Farrington had no idea what was in store for him when he quit his job as a brick mason. He only knew he enjoyed training and driving horses and wanted to devote himself to it full time. He had a knack for getting lame horses back on the track. He drove his first race at Piketon Fairgrounds in Ohio. His first pari-mutuel win was in 1955 at Hilliard Raceway with a horse called Grand Martha.

He became the leading driver in the nation in 1961 and held that honor through 1967, except in 1963 when he was sidelined with injuries for six weeks. He finished second that year, just three wins shy of the leader. He was the first driver to win 200 races in a season and the first to win 300 races in a season.

He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1978 and has also been named the Harness Horsemen’s International Man of the Year. He is in the Ohio and Illinois Hall of Fame. He also wrote a chapter in the Care & Training of the Trotter & Pacer about classifying horses.

Mr. Farrington was about to retire when Rambling Willie came along and together they became a winning combination. Rambling Willie won 111 races and was the first Standardbred to win more than $2 million.

Mr. Farrington and Rambling Willie went on a book tour across the United States promoting the book The Horse That God Loved. They went to 28 cities in 32 weeks and drew record breaking crowds at each racetrack and shopping mall they went to.

Mr. Farrington was also known for helping young horsemen get their start by allowing them to race horses for him. He said the making of a great driver was in the hands. He would say you either have the hands and a soft touch or you don’t. He will always be known for his quick wit, smile and laugh. He never met a stranger and loved his family.

He was born on July 15, 1929, to Francis and Louis Farrington, who are both deceased. He was raised in the Richwood and Rushsylvania area.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Vivian; daughter, Karen (Joe) Ewing; grandchildren, Gail Curran, Jack Curran and Justin Curran; great-grandchildren, Nik Kosanovic, Emma Kosanovic and Jackson Curran; sisters, Marilyn (Tom) Pugh and Sue (Floyd) Carpenter; brother, Richard (Dorothy); nieces and nephews; and many who thought of him as a second father. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Rod and Brad.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, 240 Main St. Goshen, NY 10924; or Christian Harness Horsemen’s Association, 157 N. Main St., Salem, NH 03079 for the Rambling Willie Scholarship.