Columbus, OH — Richard “Dick” Brandt Jr. notified the U.S. Trotting Association in writing at the end of last week that he was resigning his seat on the Board of Directors as well as his position as Treasurer of the Association. Elected to the USTA Board in 1986 and Treasurer in 2010, he served as a representative of District 1.

Richard “Dick” Brandt Jr. is resigning his seat on the USTA Board of Directors as well as his position as Treasurer of the Association. USTA photo.

“With the state of racing in Ohio on solid footing, now seems to be a perfect and comfortable time for me to step aside and grant an opportunity for someone else to help oversee our great sport,” said Brandt in tendering his resignation.

In addition to his role as treasurer, Brandt was also the chairman of the Rules Committee and an active member of the Universal Rules Committee chaired by John Campbell.

Among his many contributions to harness racing over several decades, Brandt was a past president and director of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association; past chairman of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Health and Retirement Fund; treasurer of PACER (Political Action Committee for Equine Racing); past president of the River Valley Colt Circuit and former trustee of the Ohio Standardbred Breeders Association.

He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in industrial production and is currently chairman and director of the Logan Clay Products Company. He is also chairman of the National Clay Pipe Institute and past chairman of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Brandt and his wife, Connie, reside in Logan, Ohio.

“Selfless and principled — those are the best words that I can think of to describe Dick and his contributions to harness racing and the USTA,” said USTA Executive Vice President Mike Tanner. “He’s an unsung hero of the sport, a man who has made a difference, and the Association is grateful for his many years of counsel and service.”

Kevin Greenfield was selected to fill the remainder of Dick  Brandt’s term that expires in 2020. USTA photo.

Kevin Greenfield was selected to fill the remainder of Brandt’s term that expires in 2020.

As prescribed in USTA Bylaw § 5.04 Vacancies Membership Elected Directors. Any vacancy on the district board of a membership director through death, written resignation filed with the United States Trotting Association office in Columbus, Ohio, removal, or other cause, may be filled from the membership of such district by the remaining membership directors for such district, with the individual so elected to serve until the next scheduled district meeting, at which time an election shall be held for the purpose of electing a membership director for the balance of the term or a new term if the existing term has expired, as provided in article 4.02 herein.

The remaining membership directors of District 1 chose to replace Brandt with Greenfield, a respected Ohio breeder who is the president and treasurer of Hickory Lane Horse Farm in Findlay, Ohio, where he oversees the overall operations of the farm and is actively involved in the purchases of the farm’s broodmares and stallions.

Greenfield is a past president of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association in addition to being a shareholder in and past treasurer of the Ohio Harness Horse Breeders Association.

Following is the procedure for election of a new membership director for District 1 in 2020.

(4.02 Election of Membership Directors. Membership directors shall be elected as follows: (a) Nomination Petition Requirements. Candidates for membership director other than incumbent membership director shall be made by filing a written petition signed by at least twenty-five (25) voting members from the district for which the person seeks to become a candidate to be filed at the main office of the association in Columbus, Ohio at least fifty (50) days before the election. In computing the fifty (50) day period, the day of filing shall be counted and the day of the district meeting excluded. Nominating petitions forwarded by mail shall be by registered mail return receipt requested and shall be considered filed as of the postmark date. All others shall be considered filed at the time they are actually received at the main office of the association.)