09 October 2017 | Graham Fischer
Respected harness racing personality Barry Ewen has passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Ewen, 76, was given just 12 months to live about four years but refused to go without a fight.
He leaves his wife Yvonne, daughters Joanne and Belinda, sons Simon, Scott, Christopher and Andrew, and 11 grandchildren.
As a teenager, Ewen worked for a thoroughbred trainer and had ambitions to be a jockey, but his weight, not that he was a big man, ruled him out and he became a harness racing trainer-driver.
During his career he drove more than 600 winners and trained in excess of 400.
Ewen’s best horses were Camden Star and Rockleigh when he first started at Wayville in the 1960s, and later his favourite Free-For-All star Tarpeena Prince, along with Van High, The Bronx, Mister Dexterity, Gawler Derby, SA Guineas and SA Sires Produce winner Swing Parade and Razz.
Despite being in his 60s, the horseman won the first Monte race at Globe Derby Park and ran second a year later before ‘retiring’ leaving it to younger participants.
Ewen had three life passions, in order – his wife Yvonne, family and harness racing. It was those traits, along with his integrity, which ensured he was a respected participant.
He also became the president of the Gawler Harness Racing Club, and was involved when the club was left without a track because of the building of the Northern Expressway.
His interest in thoroughbred racing also remained and he successfully turned his hand to training winning with horses such as Gold Vintage and Jestwin.
When he became ill, Ewen, transferred Jestwin to another trainer Nicole Bruggemann and she prepared the horse to win the 2017 Kangaroo Island Cup, a proud moment for him and the family.
Ewen’s funeral will be at St Peter and Paul’s Church in Gawler on Wednesday, October 18 at 1.30pm.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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