Harvey L. Vanier (April 21, 1924 - December 1, 2013) was an American trainer, owner and breeder of

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorses Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. With his wife Nancy Aiken-Vanier, they owned and bred racehorses on their Fairberry Farm in

Waterloo, Illinois Waterloo is a city in and county seat of Monroe County, Illinois. The population was 9,811 at the 2010 census. Geography Waterloo is located at (38.335243, -90.152685). According to the 2010 census, Waterloo has a total area of , of which (or ...

. Vanier began his career in Thoroughbred racing as a jockey, first riding as a boy of 12 at state and county fairs. Once old enough to obtain a professional license, he rode at Nebraska tracks. Weight gain ended his riding career in his late teens and in 1942 he turned to training. However, that was short-lived when he joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and would serve in Europe during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

References

1924 births 2013 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American jockeys American horse trainers American racehorse owners and breeders People from Jefferson County, Nebraska People from Waterloo, Illinois {{US-horseracing-bio-stub