Hall of Fame horseman Robert G. Farrington, 85, died Oct 13, 2014 at his home in Florida from a heart attack.
Bob 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-mutual win was in 1955 at Hilliard Raceway with a horse called Grand Martha.
Bob became the leading driver in the nation in 1961 and held that honor thru 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 Pacers and Trotters Guide about classifying horses.
Bob was about to retire when Rambling Willie came along and together they became a winning combination winning more races than any other horse in history (128) and Willie was the first horse to win more than $2,000,000. Bob & 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.
Bob 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 been known for his quick wit, smile and laugh. He never met a stranger and loved his family.
Bob was born on July 15, 1929 to Louie and Francis Farrington whom are both deceased. Bob was raised in the Richwood and Rushsylvania area.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Vivian (Harris) Farrington. They had one daughter, Karen (Joe) Ewing of Richwood; three grandchildren, Gail Curran and Jack Curran both of Joliet, Illinois, Justin Curran of Delaware; three great grandchildren, Nik Kosanovic, Emma Kosanovic and Jackson Curran; sisters Marilyn (Tom) Pugh, Sue (Floyd) Carpenter both of West Mansfield, and bother Richard (Dorothy) Farrington of Longwood, Fla. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and many who thought of him as a second father. He was preceded in death by brothers Rod and Brad Farrington.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014 from 1 to 5 PM at the Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home, Richwood. Funeral services will be Monday, Oct. 20 at 1:00 PM at the funeral home with Pastor Matthew Craig officiating. Burial will follow in York Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to 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.
Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.stofcheck-ballinger.com
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