Edward Geers

Edward Franklin Geers (January 25, 1851 – September 3, 1924), nicknamed "Pop", was an American harness racer and author of 'Ed Geers' experience with the Trotters and the Pacers.'

Early life He was born on January 25, 1851, in Tennessee to William Gideon Geers and Emily Woolard.

It was in Wilson County, Tennessee that Geers first discovered the passion for horses that would shape his entire life, developing his training and driving abilities from boyhood.

Career He took charge of training a string of horses at the age of 20.

Geers settled in Nashville, Tennessee in 1873, and it was there that he developed the talents of Brown Hal, giving rise to the renowned Hal family. Following the closure of his Nashville training stables, he relocated in 1876 to the early fairgrounds in Columbia, Tennessee.

His introduction to New York racing came in 1877, when he competed at Fleetwood Park Racetrack.

Legacy Geers was honored in 1926 with the dedication of a memorial park in Columbia, Tennessee featuring a granite obelisk.

His decades of competitive racing translated into nearly $2,000,000 in accumulated prize winnings. He was inducted into the United States Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1958. In 2009, he was inducted into the Wilson County Agricultural Hall of Fame.