Greg de Gannes, an equine veterinarian who parlayed his knowledge of horses into a career as a successful trainer, died Feb. 23 at age 50.
A memorial is planned for 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the trainer's lounge at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Fla., where De Gannes was based over the winter.
Born in Trinidad in 1963, De Gannes came from a family steeped in the history of the Caribbean's horse racing industry. He relocated to Canada in 1973 when his father, Dr. Rolph de Gannes, was named resident veterinarian at Windfields Farm.
De Gannes obtained his veterinary medicine degree from the University of Guelph in 1988 and went to work for the Fishman & Chris equine practice at Woodbine Racetrack. After Windfields closed its Maryland operation in 1991, De Gannes joined his father in an equine veterinary practice in Ontario.
De Gannes then relocated to Ocala, Fla., to join Mockingbird Farm as head veterinarian for the racing division and as an assistant to trainer Mark Casse.
Since establishing his own stable in 2003, De Gannes was represented by eight stakes winners, including Jenny's So Great, an earner of $615,938 whose three stakes wins included the Natalma Stakes (Can-III) and additional Canadian grade III winner C Karma.
De Gannes is survived by his former wife Melissa and children Ava and Evan.
The funeral will be held March 5 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in King City, Ontario, Canada. The family requests donations made in Greg's memory to Longrun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, MADD Canada, and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.
Jenny's So Great was trained by Greg de Gannes.
Tom Cooley Photography