Heroic paddock captain John Shear dies at age 102

John Shear, a former rider who worked at Santa Anita in various capacities for nearly 60 years, including as paddock captain well into his 90s, died on Tuesday from natural causes at a rehabilitation facility in Arcadia, Calif.

Shear was 102. His death was announced by his family through a statement issued by Santa Anita. Shear would have been 103 next month.

Born in England in 1921, Shear worked as a rider in that country before emigrating to British Columbia in the 1950s. Standing 4 feet 11 inches, Shear trained briefly at Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico, and in Northern California before he moved to Southern California to work as an exercise rider.

Shear lived the rest of his life in Southern California, not far from Santa Anita.

Shear found himself at home at Santa Anita, he said in an interview published in 2020 in conjunction with his 99th birthday.

“As soon as I stepped off that van in the stable area here, I said, ‘Lord, this is where I want to be,’ ” Shear said. “The place was so incredibly beautiful and I’ve never gotten tired of it.”

Shear worked in Santa Anita’s operations department in various rules, including the parking lot and more recently as paddock captain, entrusted with public safety as the horses come and go from the barns to the paddock.

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In that capacity in 2011, Shear was credited with saving a child from a potentially severe injury when he shielded the girl from a horse that had gotten loose and was running toward the stable area.

Shear sustained significant injuries in the incident, including a fractured pelvis and a fractured cheekbone. His action drew widespread interest from local media.

Later that year, Santa Anita honored Shear’s bravery in a winner’s circle ceremony.

Shear remained active until his final years, and was an occasional visitor to Santa Anita after his retirement.

In 2021, Shear was honored by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters association with the Mr. Fitz award for typifying the spirit of racing.

In recent years, Santa Anita has held a stakes in Shear’s honor. The $100,000 John Shear Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course will be run next year on April 7.

Through his life, Shear saw massive changes in the world. He served in the British armed forces during World War II, saw the difficult post-war years in Britain as the country recovered from the war, and witnessed the booming growth of California in the second half of the 20th century.

Shear was most at home in California. At a dinner with friends in the mid-2000s, Shear was once asked how often he visited his hometown of London.

“I never go back, the kids with all the crazy hair and the clothes,” he said.

A guest asked Shear the year of that trip.

“1968,” he said.

Shear is survived by his wife Diane and a son, Michael. A private memorial will be held at a later date.

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