by Jean Emerson

Pompano Beach, FL — Jean (McFarlane) Bryar, 87, of Pompano Beach, Fla. and Meredith, N.H., died May 31, 2012.

She was born in New York on March 11, 1925, the daughter of David E. and Emily (Cushman) McFarlane. As a young girl, she attended Oak Grove Seminary in Waterville, Maine. It was through their Equine Equitation program that she acquired her lifelong love of horses. Early in her career she received training in dressage and later went on to successfully manage a show stable in Canada.

On her return to New England she married Keith Bryar of Laconia, N.H., who was at the time very involved in Alaskan sled dogs. This became her second love and the Bryar name became a familiar and respected one, dominating some of the toughest competitions nationwide, including Laconia’s World Championship Derby. The Bryar racing teams had lead dogs that became very famous in the history of the sport, as over the years Mrs. Bryar was very instrumental in their selection, breeding and ongoing progress.

It was predictable that they would eventually travel to Alaska where their success continued. In 1962 she won the Women’s North American Championship Race in Fairbanks, Alaska. She was the first woman not from Alaska to ever win the event. She also did live TV interviews and capably orchestrated a live state-wide broadcast of the first winner of the Iditarod. She was a member of the New England Sled Dog Club and later became the founder of the International Sled Dog Racing Association in 1966. It was during this time as an enthusiastic promoter that she made an appearance with one of her dogs on Johnny Carson’s Tonight show.

Always looking for new fields of endeavor, on her return to New Hampshire Mrs. Bryar added real estate to her list in the 1970s and joined Bob Lamprey’s Century ‘21 where she excelled as an investor/realtor for the next three decades, after which came the Roche Realty Group in 1995. It was also during this era that horses came back on the scene, but this time it was Standardbreds.

In the beginning she had a stable at Laconia’s Bolduc Park and raced nearby at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H. As her interest grew, she accompanied George Proctor, Cornish Track owner and his trainer, Freeman Parker, to the Delaware, Ohio, sale to purchase stock.

When the Sire Stakes programs developed in the Northeast, the Bryar Stable had expanded to include many of New England’s prominent trainers and drivers in various states. Once again she experienced success, as 2- and 3-year-old trotters and pacers raced for the larger purses.

As retirement was approaching over the past decade, the Bryar Stable relocated to Pompano Harness Track in Pompano Beach, Fla. During this time Mrs. Bryar was associated with the Jake Huff Stable, the Bruce Ranger Stable and most recently with Dave Ingraham/Kelly Case Stable, where she visited her favorites on a daily basis.

Over the years Mrs. Bryar has willingly donated her time by serving in many capacities; director of the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association and director of the Florida Breeders & Owners Association and always with the hope of improving a situation. Earlier this year she received the highly regarded Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association, one of the proudest moments of her career.

She is survived by a son, Keith II; grandchildren, Julie (Dave), Lindsey (Steve) and Andrew; great-grandchild, Cooper Bliznak; twin sister, Constance Barton; brother, David McFarlane; one nephew; and two nieces.

Burial was in Oakland Cemetery, Meredith Center, N.H.