Harness racing Hall of Famer Richard (Dickie) Stillings, a Washington resident who was the first local driver to win The Adios, has retired as a driver. He will continue his work as a trainer.
Roger Huston, former track announcer at The Meadows, made the announcement recently on his Facebook page.
The 76-year-old Stillings drove his final race June 22 at The Meadows.
A native of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Stillings is best known for winning almost every major harness race in North America and driving some of the best Grand Circuit horses of the 1980s, including Barberry Spur, Jaguar Spur, Kentucky Spur, Pegasus Spur, Esquir Spur and Gunslinger Spur, for owner Roy Davis.
After graduation from high school, Stillings received his first opportunity in harness racing as a groom for Hall of Famer Dick Buxton. After a three-year stint in the Army, including a six-month tour in Vietnam, Stillings returned to harness racing and began working as a trainer.
In 1968, Stillings moved to Western Pennsylvania and quickly established himself as a top trainer and driver. Stillings joined with owner Roy Davis and formed a tremendous partnership, sending out a string of successful Grand Circuit-type horses, each with the Spur surname to honor Davis’ favorite English soccer club, the Tottenham Hotspur.
In 1986, Stillings drove Barberry Spur to victory in The Adios, the premiere event each year at The Meadows. He drove Little Brown Jug winners in consecutive years, with Barberry Spur (1986) and Jaguar Spur (1987), and had Breeders Crowns wins with Kentucky Spur (1988) and Esquire Spur (1989). Stillings drove Cheyenne Spur (1990) and Sirocco Spur (1992) to victory in the Currier & Ives at The Meadows.
Stillings had 5,920 career wins and earnings of $43,959,385. He had a remarkable 16 years of at least $1 million in earnings. His best year was 2009, with $3,031,402.
In 2008, Stillings was inducted into the Washington-Greene Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2013 and is an Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductee.
Original source credited to: The Observer-Reporter
