Earlier last week, trainer Shelley Brown crossed her final finish line, but her legacy will reverberate through the grandstand and backstretch forever. At 52, the trailblazing trainer who became the first woman to lead the trainer standings outright at Assiniboia Downs has run her final furlong, leaving behind a stable of memories and a community in mourning.
A Saskatchewan girl, Shelley fell in love with horses thanks to her parents’ trips to the track. At 19, she packed her bags and headed to Alberta to work as a groom, learning everything from the ground up in the stalls. She was a natural.
In 2009, Shelley took the plunge and began training on her own. Starting out small with just six horses, word of her talent spread quickly. Owners saw how their horses thrived under her care, and soon her stable had grown to 45.