COLONIAL DOWNS HARNESS TRAINER PASSES AWAY
Submitted by: Darrell Wood
Phone: (804) 966-7223
Email Address: DWood(at)colonialdowns.com
Date Added: 1/18/2005
NEW KENT, VA----1/18/05)----Harness racing trainer/driver Roy Massie Sr. passed away this weekend at the age of 62 after a lengthy illness. Mr. Massie was born November, 1942 in Montebello, Virginia and was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, where he spent his entire life.
Mr. Massie served in the United States Air Force, was self employed for a period of time, then worked in the distribution department of the Washington Post, from which he retired a few years ago.
Mr. Massie was active in the sport of harness racing mainly as a trainer, but also as a driver and breeder for thirty-plus years. He was a member of the Capitol Area Amateur Drivers Association (CAADA), where he competed in harness races against other amateur drivers in the U.S. and in Europe.
Mr. Massie is the only amateur driver that went on to train and drive a winner in a Virginia-bred stake race at Colonial Downs. His trotter, VA Two Thirty Two, captured the $35,800 2 Year Old Colt/Gelding Trot in 2002. In that same year, his home-bred trotter Rome Warrior won both the $23,900 Virginia-Bred Aged Trot and the inaugural $27,500 Eddie Taylor Memorial Trotting Series. Rome Warrior set a life mark of 1:55 3/5 in 2002.
Mr. Massie raced primarily at Colonial Downs and Rosecroft Raceway and in 2003, was a Board member of the Virginia Harness Horsemen’s Association. Since 1994, Mr. Massie’s harness horses won 61 races and purse earnings of $338,622.
Mr. Massie will be buried at Quantico National Cemetary in Northern Virginia on Wednesday January 19th.
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