Tragic horse-racing accident claims life of young racer Hunter Myers: 'A rising star'
Tragic horse-racing accident claims life of young racer Hunter Myers: 'A rising star' The chain-reaction collision involved five horses and began when the lead horse made a sudden break during the race. Myers was thrown from his horse-drawn cart, according to a trade publication.
The horse racing world is mourning the loss of an accomplished harness driver after a racing accident earlier this month.
Hunter Myers, 27, passed away from injuries he sustained during a race March 19 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Washington, Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Trotting Association.
Myers was thrown from his horse-drawn cart in a chain-reaction crash involving five horses that began when the lead horse made a sudden break, according to the Daily Racing Form, a trade publication. Myers died from his injuries the next day.
'Hunter was a rising star in our industry. The Meadows racing community, and the entire harness racing industry, are deeply saddened by this tragic event,' Hollywood Casino at The Meadows and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association said in a joint statement. 'Our thoughts and sympathy are with his fiancée, Chloe Fisher, and son, Hayden Myers, during this time."
Myers' driving career began in 2014 at age 16, and his family's involvement in harness racing spans generations with his father, Michael Myers, his dad's grandfather and uncle all being a part of the sport, according to USTA. He won his first race with a horse trained by his dad on July 11, 2014, at the Jackson County Fair in Wellston, Ohio, the USTA said, adding that he would go on to win 298 races over the next four years before earning his first $1 million season in 2019 and finishing in the winner's circle 164 times
MGM Northfield Park is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of driver Hunter Myers. Hunter Myers has been a... Posted by Northfield Park on Thursday, March 20, 2025
Myers won 2,450 races and $21.7 million in purses during his career and was a three-time finalist for the U.S. Harness Writers Association's Rising Star Award, the USTA said.
"Hunter Myers was an integral, remarkable part of the fabric of the sport and he died doing what he loved," USTA wrote in a statement. "He was a beloved son to his parents. A doting father to his toddler son. An adored partner to his fiancée. And a loyal, funny, generous friend to the legions in American harness racing who knew him."
A GoFundMe page to support his fiancée and son said his "friends and family will always remember his smile, easy going personality, and kindness." As of Saturday, the page had logged more than $80,000 in donations.
"Hunter was a proud father and absolutely adored his son. The seven short months they spent together created an everlasting bond," the organizer wrote. "He was over the moon in love with his fiancé Chloe and was ecstatic about their upcoming wedding."
What is harness racing?
In harness racing, drivers steer a two-wheeled cart known as a "racebike" that is pulled by standardbred horses, according to USTA. Speeds can reach up to 30 miles per hour.
Standardbreds weigh between 800 and 1,200 pounds and are known to be athletic and intelligent. Once standardbreds retire from racing, they typically serve as police or military mounts as well as trail-riding companions, USTA writes.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ.
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