Virginia's breeders/owner Edward P. Evans passes away

[Glimmerglass]

One of No. Virginia racing’s biggest names in recent years has passed away unexpectedly:

Prominent Breeder-Owner Edward Evans Dies

Edward Evans, whose racing and breeding program at Spring Hill Farm in Casanova, Va., produced numerous stakes winners including 2010 multiple grade I winner Quality Road, died Dec. 31 in New York. He was 68.

Evans, former chairman of Macmillan Publishing, was the son of Thomas Mellon Evans, also a successful owner and breeder who counted 1981 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Pleasant Colony among the stakes winners produced on his Buckland Farm. Edward Evans purchased 2,800 acre Spring Hill Farm in 1969 and among the more than 100 stakes winners he bred were 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam as well as homebred stakes winners Gygistar, Tap Dance, Cat’s At Home, Minstrella, and With Ability. Other recent stakes winners he raced included grade I winner Cat Moves, and grade II winners Malibu Prayer and A Little Warm.

Evans invested many years in breeding his best mares with top-quality stallions, adding the fillies to his broodmare band upon retirement. Included among his broodmares were millionaire runners Raging Fever, Summer Colony, and Gold Mover.

Only last week he gave the single largest gift to Yale University for their School of Management: at $50 million and the building named for him

With the listed sale of North Wales and now the impact to Spring Hill Farm you have to wonder what will become of any breeding for racing in that immediate area.

[midnightride]

Very sad…
spent many, many hours riding and hunting across his property (and picking out horses while doing so:))

He will be missed and I just cant even imagine what will happen.

Defiantly the end of an era.

Honestly to compare North Wales and Spring Hill seems like comparing apples and rotten oranges together… Evans was pure genius.

[Glimmerglass]

The DRF said that he was already ill during the time of the Breeders’ Cup and could not attend it. ESPN had been informed at the time if QR won the BCC a representative of Spring Hill would accept the award.

Per the AP/Wall Street Journal:

Evans died Friday night at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, his personal secretary Catherine Moraetis said Saturday. She said the cause of death was acute myeloid leukemia.

Evans owned Spring Hill Farm in Casanova, Va., and his horses won more than 100 stakes races during his 30-plus years as an owner. Funeral services will be private, and Evans will be buried at his farm, Moraetis said.

“I’d say he considered himself a businessman first, a philanthropist second and then a horseman,” Moraetis said.

In 2010, Evans ranked seventh among owners in North America with $3.6 million in purse earnings. Among his other recent winners were Cat Moves, Malibu Prayer and A Little Warm.

“Edward Evans was one of the most prominent horsemen on the New York circuit and you would be hard pressed to find someone more passionate about horses and horse racing,” New York Racing Association president Charles Hayward said. “It is not going to be the same without his presence at the NYRA tracks, and he will be sorely missed throughout the industry.”

Evans, born in Pittsburgh, bought his 3,000 acre Virginia farm in 1969, and was the state’s breeder of the year six times and chosen national breeder of the year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association in 2009.

“The industry has lost an icon,” Tony Dutrow, who trains A Little Warm, said on the Thoroughbred Times’ website. “He was one of the greatest American breeders, and this is a very sad day to start off the year.”

A Mid Atlantic Horseman 2005 article on Spring Hill Farm

Casanova, Va., is no more than a crossroads, a tiny country cousin to the nearby town of Warrenton. But it is a destination well-known to legions of long-distance horse van drivers who carry precious cargo back and forth to Edward P. (Ned) Evans’s Spring Hill Farm.

A low-key presence in the Virginia countryside (“I doubt if a lot of our neighbors know what we do back here,” said farm manager Chris Baker), Spring Hill is a power-player in the world of Thoroughbred racing.

I recall when Col. Oliver North’s brother tried to buy Melrose Castle - which is adjacent to Spring Hill - as a wedding/party venue and Ned asked the town to deny the bid. That was that and the permit denied.

[tradewind]

I had a dog die of this, and it is a very sudden onset type of thing. She was fine one day and dead a week later. I hope Mr. Evans had a peaceful passing. Anyone I knew that knew him said he was a gentleman in the old fashioned sense of the word. Sympathy to all who knew and loved him.

[midnightride]

QUOTE “I recall when Col. Oliver North’s brother tried to buy Melrose Castle - which is adjacent to Spring Hill - as a wedding/party venue and Ned asked the town to deny the bid. That was that and the permit denied.”[/QUOTE]

This had more to do with ALL the citizens in Casanova… the road is very narrow and dangerous as is…

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=midnightride;5326970]
This had more to do with ALL the citizens in Casanova… the road is very narrow and dangerous as is…[/QUOTE]

This is far off topic but I feel the need to reply. I perhaps spoke out of turn if anyone thought I was inferring Ned had been either the sole voice or that his “position” alone squashed John & Patricia North’s plans with the Castle. It was his letter in combination with the objections of Spring Hill (official and otherwise via its many residents on the property) which had significant impact. Other Casanova residents did voice opposition, but very few were adjacent on Rogues Road to the proposed B&B, Wedding and party venue. The original 400+ acres (save for 50 which included the castle itself) for Melrose was acquired and folded into Spring Hill by Ned.

Board of Zoning Appeals Dec 4, 2003

Mr. Chris Baker, manager of Spring Hill Farm, stated opposition to the bed and breakfast, noting the commercial venture’s incompatibility with current zoning and existing uses in the surrounding area, which are rural and agriculture, with farms and residences but no businesses. He stated that a business coming into this immediate community brings nothing positive to that community. There are no other businesses (stores, wineries) for anyone who is staying at this bed and breakfast to tour while they are in that area.

Mr. Baker stated that the burden of proof should be on the applicant to show that the proposal is compatible with the neighborhood and consistent with the intent of the existing zoning. He noted he has not seen anything that shows where a bed and breakfast is consistent with the zoning that is already there. Mr. Baker noted an additional issue was concern that approving the Bed and Breakfast would lead to special events, which would generate more extensive traffic and environmental impacts.

Board of Zoning Appeals Nov 6, 2003:

[employee of Spring Hill Farm] stated that Spring Hill Farm totally surrounds Melrose Castle. It is a very large farm and it is a thoroughbred horse farm.

“My concern with the bed and breakfast and the events are the people. My concern is that these people will wander on to Spring Hill Farm and want to see the foals. If someone is hurt by a horse or if a horse is hurt by someone, the fees would be astronomical. I am very much opposed to it. The road itself is too small to handle the additional traffic. There are blind turns and blind hills and very dangerous for someone who has had too much to drink. It is cause for great concern and I want to let it be known that we are very much opposed to it. I believe that Ned Evans, owner of Spring Hill Farm, has written a letter.”

(The cited letter written by Ned to the Board was never released via public records.)

[midnightride]

EDIT- I feel it is very sad that Mr Evans place in the world has turned it this but I feel I must voice my opinion…

end of edit.

:eek:

Have you ever stood up for your farm?? assuming you have one.

Have you driven down this road?? assuming not.

really…

there is a like business 5 minutes away (off a main road) that is not exactly over booked… this made no sense.

to imply that Spring Hill (or any associates) used their weight to sway this is insane!
:no::no::no:

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=midnightride;5327520]
to imply that Spring Hill (or any associates) used their weight to sway this is insane![/QUOTE]

Re-read my statement the prior post to that exact point. You’ve absolutely called that one incorrectly.

[JSwan]

@Glimmerglass;5327534

You’ve absolutely called that one incorrectly.

I live in this area and am active in the community.

Over the years there have been several attempts to turn Melrose Castle into a Bed and Breakfast, wine tasting/wedding facility, among other proposals. Melrose Castle may sound grand, but in truth it is a very small building hidden in the woods. Around it are farms, including Spring Hill/Longwood.

The area is not suited to high traffic, parties, loud music, and year round festivities outlined in the many proposals. In fact, the roads have not changed since the Civil War. Except they are now paved. They are still tiny, narrow, dark, windy and very dangerous.

Mr. Evans may have been one of the voices in opposition, but I can assure you his was drowned out by a chorus of residents. For each proposal, not just the one you referenced. Most of the open space in the area is still farmland. Beef, dairy and horses. Most of the farmers are Old Order Mennonite. The “traffic” in Casanova is mostly farm vehicles, tractors and horses. The “main” road is almost a single lane road. To visit Casanova is almost to step back in time. Time passes slowly in Casanova. Few Rogues Road residents spoke out because there are few residents to begin with. Rogues Road has farms on both sides. The tiny, twisty, narrow country roads that feed into it also have farms on both sides. There are very few residents unless you start counting cows and horses.

Many residents of this area, and the county, are very active in farmland preservation and conservation. This county adopted a slow-growth policy many years ago; in an attempt to stave off the massive, ugly spread of McMansions from DC. It is not unusual for there to be an outpouring of opposition to any proposal which brings urban style entertainment and an influx of traffic to an area zoned for agricultural operations. Casanova, and Melrose Castle, are zoned primarily for agriculture. Farming.

Currently, Melrose Castle is a private residence.

You do a disservice to his memory to imply that he swayed our Board of Supervisors, or held special power in the community. He wasn’t that kind of person.

To the residents and farmers he was just Mr. Evans. And he will be greatly missed. His passing is a tremendous loss to the community, for more reasons than you know.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and to all the wonderful and dedicated employees.

[midnightride]

Thank you JSwan.

He was a wonderful man and an asset to the community. Most people knew him for his love of the area and in keeping it looking pristine. He bought many of the older buildings and fixed them up, unlike many small towns in the area Casanova is beautiful to drive threw (slowly because the roads have not been widened)

Around here he will be missed more for this than his horses.

[blackstallion2]

Very sad news… he was in inspiration to Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders (what few we have left).

[haligator]

Good-Bye Mr. Evans

Hail and farewell, Mr. Evans. Your breeding program added to bloodlines of Thoroughbreds in many ways, and your willingness to have the hunt come through your property shows one of the many ways you were a good neighbor in your community and state.

As an aside, thank you for giving us the grand warrior Gygistar, and letting him run for as long as he did. I have a lot of fond affection for this wonderful horse, and I’m glad his retirement is at Spring Hill Farm.

I will never forget Quality Road’s winning run in the Florida Derby - what a horse!

As an aside, condolences to Chris and Diana Baker, who helped Mr. Evans through the years. Two finer horsemen you’d be hard pressed to find, and Mr. Evans knew who to hire on his road to racing success. Chris and Diana, I’m truly sorry for your loss.

Hallie I. McEvoy
Racing Dreams, LLC

[Calamber]

He certainly bred an unbelieveable amount of horses. Condolences to Diana Baker who recruited him somewhat to the notion that you are responsible for what you produce.