Florida Horsewoman Jessica Hartigan Dies at 62

Jessica Wynn Hartigan, who ran Cashel Stud near Ocala, Fla., with her husband Kevin, died peacefully Nov. 16, according to her family. She was 62.

The daughter of Judith Kirby and James Bartsch, Hartigan was born in Raritan, N.J., Feb. 13, 1959. She attended Madeira School before moving to France to gallop racehorses for several years. When she returned to the United States, Hartigan moved to Ocala where she worked at Cashel Stud Farm and met her future husband. Together they trained horses at racetracks and at the farm. After the death of Kevin's parents, John and Sandy Hartigan, they took over Cashel Stud and raised two children.

Hartigan loved raising young Thoroughbreds before sending them to the training barn. Under the Cashel name and with Kevin, Hartigan bred several stakes winners, including grade 2-placed, multiple grade 3 winner Romacaca, who Cashel initially raced. The daughter of Running Stag out of Romaca was claimed after her third start by owner Frank Calabrese, who won 10 stakes with her, including the Taylor Made Matchmaker Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park and the Modesty Handicap (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse. She earned nearly $945,000. Hartigan also bred and initially campaigned stakes winners Banjo and Without a Doubt. For Hartigan, Banjo, a son of Unreal Zeal, would finish third in the Foolish Pleasure Stakes at Calder Race Course, before going on to win the Birdonthewire Handicap at Gulfstream Park for Rickey Harris. Hartigan got two second-place finishes from Without a Doubt before selling the son of Pentelicus privately to Richard Duchossois, who won the 2004 Better Bee Stakes at Arlington and 2005 Crafty Drone Stakes at Hawthorne Race Course with him.

Besides Thoroughbreds, Hartigan loved reading, raising her dogs, and gardening and operated a natural health care business as well.

Later in life, she divided her time between Florida and Vermont, where several of her brothers live. They spent the last couple of years building her a summer cabin in Vermont, near Lake Champlain.

Hartigan is survived by her daughter and son, Caitlin Hartigan of Ocala, Ryan Hartigan of Seattle, Wash., brothers Cary of France, Phillip and Adam of Vermont, David of Boston, and brother-in-law Brian Hartigan of Ocala.

A memorial service will be held Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. at New Life Family Church, 1700 NW 60th Ave., Ocala. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorial donations may be made to the Pangea Equine Thoroughbred Retirement farm at 4447 NW 76th Ct. in Ocala.