Two-time member of the US and Canadian Hall of Fame.
Member of the Little Brown Jug Hall of Fame.
Elected Harness Track of America Driver of the Year three times.
Four-time United States champion according to Harness Racing Driving (US champion in number of victories).
More than 10,400 career victories.
More than $192 million is the prize money he earned. Only the great John Campbell has more.
The only driver in the world who, after turning 50, won $1 million races twice in a season.
For 15 consecutive seasons at North America's premier harness racing venue, the Meadowlands, he has been ranked among the top five riders.
The public called him “Iron Mike.”
Listing these accolades and achievements can be tiresome. The totality of reasons, conditions and circumstances that led Michel Lachance to the heights of his career as a harness horse rider is worth delving into.
Close people
Michel Lachance, born in 1950 in Saint-Augustine, Quebec, Canada, came from a large and loving family. His parents, Gedeon and Françoise, had eight children - five boys and three girls. Growing up on his father's dairy farm, Michel has fond memories of his childhood, particularly being taught to lead a horse by his father in the winter when he was just six years old.
Equestrian sports were a passion shared by all five brothers in the family. Michel's admiration for his older brother Gilles, a leading horseman in Canada in the late 60s and early 70s, inspired him to start participating in races at 12 years old. By 16, Michel was competing in races with betting, gaining popularity among spectators.
In the late 1990s, Michel achieved significant success in harness horse racing, winning the Prix d'Ete twice in Montreal with horses Matt's Scooter in 1988 and Goalie Jeff in 1989. These victories held special meaning for Michel, as they were dedicated to his father, who had passed away in 1989. Gedeon Lachance, unable to attend the races, watched his son's triumphs on TV and was filled with joy.
Family
A striking trend emerges when examining the backgrounds of successful champion riders - they all seem to have a strong, supportive family unit behind them. It's almost as if they have all signed up for the same "family values" club.
The late Joe O'Brien, a legendary North American racer who passed away from cancer in 1984, was happily married to Eileen O'Brien.
John Campbell, the esteemed President of the Hambletonian Society, not only represents excellence in harness racing, but also embodies the importance of family. He and his wife Paula have three daughters and six grandchildren.
Michel Lachance, who has been alongside his wife Micheline for 50 years, resides in Millstone, New Jersey, USA. They enjoy spending their leisure time together and travel whenever they can. They are proud parents of two sons and doting grandparents to four grandchildren. Their son Patrick owns a stable in New Jersey, where he trains horses and is also pursuing a career as a rider. Son Martin lives in Toronto and trains horses there. The Lachance father and sons jointly own 10 horses.
Idols, friends and rivals
Michel is very lucky to have such an older brother as Gilles Lachance. 12 years older than Michel, his brother literally paved the way for him into big-time sports. In 1964, he was Canada's leading sprinter for 26 years, rivalled only by Keith Waples. In 1994, Gilles Lachance was the first Quebecer to win a competition in France at the Vincennes racecourse in Paris.
When Michel was 20 years old, the famous Keith Waples became his idol. In 1959, he was the first in Canada to walk a mile in under two minutes. By the time Michel matched his skill, he stopped racing.
In Montreal during Lachance's youth, there were several families associated with the racing industry. This is the Lachance family, the Filion family, the Turcottes. They grew up together and were friends and rivals at the same time. So in 1970, they watched the World Championship, in which their friend Hervé Filion participated, and rejoiced at his victory.
In Montreal, Lachance had his own stable, to which he devoted a lot of time.
Three best teams were waiting for him in New York: Vinny Origemma, Larry Summer and Linda Toscano. And Lachance and his family moved to America.
Linda Toscano praised Michael's innate sense of timing and ability to lead any horse to victory, whether it be a trotter or a pacer, a slow or spirited horse, young or old. She credited Lachance for teaching her the importance of consistency and routine in training horses, as they thrive on certainty.
In the 1986 season, Lachance broke the United States record by winning 770 races, surpassing his friend and competitor Hervé Filion's previous record of 637 races set in 1974. This achievement solidified his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the harness racing world.
When Lachance moved to Meadowlands Racetrack in 1988, he quickly established himself as a formidable competitor. Even John Campbell, the favourite at Meadowlands, acknowledged Lachance's professionalism, determination, and deep knowledge of horses and their abilities. Campbell admitted that competing against Lachance was challenging due to his intense focus and strong understanding of the sport.
Favourite things
Favourite things and preferences, on the one hand, help a person achieve success because they support his well-being and enthusiasm. On the other hand, these things can reveal a lot about a person, reveal the outer social shell and show his deep natural traits.
Incredibly, this tough racer, like an ordinary boy, loves vanilla ice cream.
At the same time, Lachance’s favourite film remains “The Godfather,” which immediately speaks volumes about the racer’s character and returns him to the image of a courageous man who knows how to take risks.
His favourite brand of car is Chrysler, his favourite dish is swordfish, and his favourite sport is not harness racing, but hockey.
His favourite horse, no one can guess, is the little-known horse Dox Fell.
She is not strong, not a champion, but Lachance remembers her and has a great warm feeling for her. When he first moved in, he was given this little horse with a big heart. Lachance remembers that she was incredibly kind to him, simply loving her rider for who he was. This is a very touching story, it showed that “Iron Mike” has a gentle soul and a kind heart.
Fortune's Chosen
In his field, the driver has achieved all the success a draft horse racer could dream of. He has dominated in all the major competitions, with an impressive record of wins including five Little Brown Jugs, four Hambletonians, and three North America Cups. However, it is his two Prix d'Ete victories that he holds most dear, as they were won in his home country of Canada, where he was born and raised.
Lachance retired in 2015, wanting to leave at the top of his game rather than decline over time. He is grateful for the support of his family and the opportunity to work with exceptional individuals and horses. His wife Michelle believes that he has been blessed with all the joys that life can offer. Isn't that true happiness?