by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Freehold, NJ — Standardbred owner, breeder, trainer and former amateur driver Peter Langrock has an exhibition of 27 of his impressionistic landscape paintings on display and for sale to benefit Burlington College through January 13.

Peter Langrock

Langrock raises Standardbreds at his 300-acre farm in Salisbury, Vt., which is also home to cattle, sheep, English springer spaniels and a trout stream.

He fits in painting along with his work as founding partner of Langrock, Sperry & Wool law firm, for which he has argued two cases related to environmental issues before the United States Supreme Court.

A graduate of the University of Chicago, both undergraduate and law school, Langrock has practiced in Vermont since 1960 and owned Standardbreds since 1968, when he took part ownership of a filly in exchange for legal fees.

Langrock has campaigned primarily homebred trotters, at Saratoga and fairs in the region, but he’s taking a new approach this year.

“I’m changing policy,” he said. “My homebreds have not been successful. I probably will be buying made horses or looking for yearlings at a sale. I’ve got five there (at the farm) and one at the track.”

Langrock competed as a driver until about 10 years ago, his last start coming at the Rutland (Vermont) Fair.

Painting is yet another pursuit for the man who is also a steeplechase racing enthusiast and author of two books (Addison County Justice and Beyond the Courthouse) on his 50 years in legal practice.

“I started painting again in 1999,” he said, after painting as a child and then abandoning it for 50 years when he, “discovered girls when I was 12.”

He says his works include, “horse pastures, but not horses. I don’t have a current gallery; I have had in the past. Mainly now, I sell from shows and to individuals. I have over 600 works out in private and public collections.”

Langrock names his homebreds with a Salisbury prefix and a suffix that comes from friends and family, including his son Fritz, also an attorney.

To read more about the exhibition, click here.