McNamara named at SBOANJ

Leo C. McNamara, a third-generation harness horseman who has run breeding farms and managed the stallion careers of some the sport’s top racehorses, has been selected as the new executive administrator of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ).

Effective Aug. 1, McNamara will succeed Michael Izzo, who has resigned the position he has held for nearly four years to become chief financial officer of the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to have some one with such an outstanding lifetime of experience in the standardbred horse industry and personal knowledge of our association assume this important position,” said SBOANJ president Tom Luchento. “The SBOA is also grateful to Mike Izzo for his dedication and hard work,” he added.

For the past 14 1/2 years McNamara has owned and managed Two Gaits Farm in Columbus, N.J., named after his grandfather’s farm in Carmel, Ind. He also has been a member of the board of directors of the SBOANJ for the past seven years, serving as chairman of the group’s breeders committee for three years and as first vice president of the Association this year. He has been replaced in that position by Thomas A. D’Altrui, a member of the Board for many years.

McNamara’s grandfather had stood the foundation sire of modern pacers, Hal Dale, and bred the great pacer Adios at his Two Gaits Farm.

From 1973 through 1979, McNamara, an Indiana native, worked in various capacities, including farm superintendent, at Pine Hollow Stud in Pine Bush, N.Y., while attending Orange County Community College and after graduation with an associates degree in applied sciences in business administration. He then was farm manager at Holly Lane Stud and later at Almahurst Farm, in Lexington, Ky., where he managed Nihilator’s first years at stud, raised Laag and Leah Almahurst, among others, and supervised a 40-man crew.

McNamara came to New Jersey 18 years ago to be farm manager of Dreamaire Stud in Columbus, where he raised Camtastic and Fake Left, and managed part of Cam Fella’s stallion career and then started the new Two Gaits. (SBOANJ)

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