Prominent horseman Hilmer Schmidt, who raised 1998 Horse of the Year Skip Away at his Indian Hill Farm in Ocala, died Wednesday morning at his home in Brenham, Texas, after a long illness. He was 85.
Schmidt, a former president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ & Owners’ Association and one of the founding shareholders of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co., owned many successful racehorses, including Golden Bri, who won the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) in 1995. He also owned North Side Banana Co., a large Houston produce supplier.
“He was my partner for over 40 years, and we raised horses together and raced horses together,” said Norman Casse, one of OBS’s founders. “He’s probably the most honest person I’ve ever known. He always did everything the right way and never took any shortcuts.”
Dee Walther, an Ocala resident who was close friends with Schmidt and his wife, Faye, said horseracing was Schmidt’s passion. The Schmidts, originally from Texas, lived at Indian Hill Farm before returning to Texas in the 1990s to raise cattle on their Brenham farm. The Schmidts often would stay with Walther when they came to OBS sales to buy juveniles.
“They were like family,” Walther said. “He was one of the most gracious, giving people I’ve ever met. He did so much for people and for the horse industry. Horseracing was his life. He had five television sets in his room in Brenham, and he’d be watching races half the day.”
The Schmidts celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in February 2009, just four months before Faye died, Walther said. Survivors include their four children.
OBS President Tom Chiota said Schmidt was the company’s first treasurer and served as secretary/treasurer until the late 1980s. He also was a member of the OBS board of directors before moving back to Texas.
“He gave a lot of financial backing to the company,” Chiota said. “Mr. Schmidt was one of the finest gentlemen you’d ever want to meet – honest, down to earth, just one fine gentleman.”
Schmidt’s death came less than two weeks after Florida-bred Skip Away died of an apparent heart attack while standing at Hopewell Farm in Midway, Ky., on May 14. Skip Away was bred by Anna Marie Barnhart and received his early training at Indian Hill Farm. Schmidt consigned him to an OBS sale of 2-year-olds in training, where the horse was purchased for $30,000 by Carolyn Hine and trainer Hubert “Sonny” Hine.
Skip Away, a gray son of Skip Trial, won 18 of his 38 starts and earned more than $9.6 million, third on the North American money list behind Curlin and Cigar, before retiring in 1998. He earned Eclipse Awards as 3-year-old champion male in 1996 and as champion older male in 1997 and 1998. He won 10 Grade 1 races, including the 1997 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 1996-97.
Skip Away also won the Woodbine Million, Haskell Invitational, Hollywood Gold Cup, Pimlico Special, Gulfstream Park Handicap, Woodward and Donn.
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