Patrick (Pat) Crowe

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Induction Award:

Pat Crowe dedicated his life to the sport of standardbred harness racing. It was not
only his occupation; it was his profound and beloved passion. In 1949, at the age of
twelve, from humble beginnings on his fathers newly constructed Orr Lake racetrack,
Pat went on to distinguish himself over the next 63 years as an outstanding and
admired professional trainer/driver. During his triumphant career the demanding dual
responsibility of a trainer/driver, requiring exceptional physical, rational and analytic
qualities, were respectively performed to the admiration of his countless fans, 
colleagues and competitors. Pat is a celebrated North American champion in the sport
of harness racing.

Member Details:

Category: Athlete
Year of Induction: 2024
Sport: Horse Racing
Nominator: Michael Douglas Patchell
Date/ Place of Birth: June 28, 1937, Orr Lake, ON
Resides: Windsor, ON

Highlights:

♦   1949:  At 12 assisted his father, Clarence Crowe, in building a race track at Orr Lake, ON
♦   1949:  Late in the afternoon of Saturday, August 13, 1949, Canada's newest racetrack opened at the small community of Orr Lake
♦   1949:  Pat launched his career grooming for Jack Waples, father of Half of Fame horseman Keith Waples.
♦   1954:  Started working for Keith Waples in Toronto and Montreal when he was 17 years old  ...more highlights

Narrative:

Pat worked full time as a horse trainer/driver, and put his heart and soul into his chosen profession.  He established several records that serve as testimony to his dedication, aptitude and accomplishment.  Pat raced extensively throughout Canada and the United States and was highly respected across North America. ...more narrative

Quotes:

Beverley Smith an award-winning writer, covered Cam Fella for The Globe & Mail.
“He was rare,” said Smith. “The memorable race that sticks out in my mind was the 1983 Summer Championship when he faced Its Fritz. Very, very fast horse. That night at The Meadowlands, Its Fritz went by Cam Fella around the final turn, pulled away by three lengths and looked like a certain winner. But in the final 16th of a mile, Cam Fella came back on and wore him down to defeat him easily, actually. He looked beaten, but that was a horse that never quit. That was a race for the ages. It was as memorable to me as Northern Dancer winning the Kentucky Derby. Awesome animal."

Galleries:

Link to Inductees' Galleries

Links:

♦   1983 Cam Fella vs. Its Fritz 
♦   1983 Meadowlands CAM FELLA Driscoll Final Pat Crowe
♦   Cam Fella’s farewell race at Greenwood Raceway, December 10, 1983
♦   Cam Fella 1986 Inductee - Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame 
♦   2012 Cam Fella Tribute 
♦   2013 Crowe Remembers Mohawk Opener, Standardbred Remembers
♦   Standardbred Canada

Acknowledgement:

Springwater Sports Heritage would like to thank the Crowe family and Mike Patchell for their excellant support in assisting with the documentation of Pat's story.  We are very pleased to have Pat as one of our Inductees.