james clark
Born in 1863, James Clark began his career as a horseman at the age of fourteen in Professor Dan Corbin’s blacksmith shop in Friendship, New York. Clark would go on to become an expert farrier, horse owner and well-respected turf journalist.
Before the age of nineteen, Clark was in charge of fitting pacers and trotters at the Genesee Valley Stock Farm in Scio, New York. In 1885 he moved on to two western New York breeding farms, Village Farm and Jewett Farm (known for foaling Joe Patchen, the sire of Dan Patch).
Later, Clark traveled for years through the Grand Circuit shoeing some of the most prominent trotters and pacers during the period 1897 to 1912 and earning himself the reputation of being one of the most skillful farriers of harness horses of his day. Clark shod Cresceus when the champion stallion broke the world’s trotting record at 2:02 ¼ at Columbus, Ohio in 1901. Dan Patch benefited from Clark’s skills on at least two occasions – when he broke the world record in 1:59 at Brighton Beach, New York in 1903, and again in 1905, at Lexington, Kentucky, where he paced to a new world record of 1:55 ¼.
While working the Grand Circuit, Clark wrote occasional articles for the turf press about his observations on racing and horses which attracted widespread attention. In 1916 Clark authored Shoeing and Balancing the Light Harness Horse, published by The Horse World Company, in Buffalo, New York. The book was considered “the most comprehensive and most practical book on shoeing and balancing the light harness horse that has ever appeared and the most complete and readable treatise on the subject as well.” Clark also edited and prepared the copy for the book Two Minute Trotters, published in 1922.
In 1913 Clark abandoned the anvil to take up turf journalism with The Horse World of Buffalo, New York where he worked as a leading member of its staff for many years. In later years he also wrote for numerous turf papers including The Horseman And Fair World. Clark joined the American Association of Trotting Horse Breeders in 1918 as assistant secretary and was made editor and business manager of the association’s official publication, The Breeders’ Journal, which he improved through his “his keen observations and effervescent wit.”
Following the tragic death of Edward “Pop” Geers in 1924, an association was chartered to raise funds and erect a memorial park to honor Geers’ life in his adopted hometown of Columbia, Tennessee. Clark was elected president of the organization, which acquired land and erected a 45-foot obelisk to memorialize Geers. Following the dedication of the park in 1926, it was turned over to the city to become Columbia’s first public park.
After fifteen years at The Breeders’ Journal and in declining health, Clark retired in 1933. When his failing condition left him unable to work actively, Clark moved with his wife Anna to California where he died at the age of 81 on June 11, 1944.