Pennsylvania horseman Bryan Bushey died at his home July 13 following a multiyear battle with cancer. He was 68.
Bushey was a proud and devoted family man who rarely missed attending his children and grandchildren's sports games. When his three children—Dave, Chris, and Lauren—left for college and no longer participated in local sports, he filled the void by attending the races at Penn National Race Course where his deep love for horse racing led to becoming an owner.
In 2004, Bushey claimed his first horse, Golden Nicolas, and soon created Bush Racing Stable when family and friends heard and wanted to partner. Golden Nicolas would win his first two starts in their silks.
Bush Racing Stable, which he managed alongside son Dave, has participated mostly in the claiming game, enjoying the instant action and lower prices. They campaigned Persie, who won won 10 races in 2018 and was named the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association Claiming Horse of the Year. He also had a famed race in January 2024 where two of his horses finished in a dead heat for the win at Penn National and was co-owner of multiple stakes winner Kaylasaurus.
Bushey was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in the spring of 2024 and given about five months to live. However, his infectious spirit and positive attitude never wavered.
More than a year later in July 2025, Bush Racing Stable claimed Point Dume for $40,000. Three months later he was a stakes winner and allowed the Bushey family to accomplish two dreams in November: having a horse in the Claiming Crown and racing a horse at Churchill Downs.
READ: Fighting Cancer, Bushey Achieves Claiming Crown Dream
"I'm on borrowed time, and I'm loving it," Bushey told BloodHorse at the Claiming Crown in November. "It's one of those deals, I thought the days were over, and here we are. It's a big deal for us. Being here is a win."
Point Dume would go on to become the stable's first graded winner in April when he defeated 2025 champion male sprinter Book'em Danno in the Carter Stakes (G2). Bushey, along with his friends and family, were there at Aqueduct Racetrack to celebrate.
READ: Point Dume in Emotional Carter Upset Over Book'em Danno
Perhaps more important than winning for Bushey was taking care of the people who took care of his horses. He was a staple on the Penn National backstretch, famous for hosting "Sausage Saturday" at trainer Tim Kreiser's barn where he would grill up about 40 sausages for backstretch workers.
"The key thing is we have a lot of great people around us," Bushey said in November. "The grooms, we believe to treat them special."
"We joked that we were just a 'one-horse stable.' As the years went on, we built a strong, well-respected racing stable in the Mid-Atlantic, winning races we never dreamed of and traveling the country together to cheer on our horses," Dave Bushey said in a Facebook post July 15. "We talked every day about the horses, how they were doing, horses we might buy, and everything going on in racing. It's a void that will be difficult to fill.
"What Dad taught me most, though, and what his diagnosis put into perspective, was that the wins and losses, which we got so worked up about, didn't really matter. What mattered was our time together and the bond we built."
Memorial services will be held July 30 at 4 p.m. ET at Malpezzi Funeral Home, 8 Market Plaza Way, Mechanicsburg, Pa. Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Bushey was known for wearing his signature plaid shorts year-round, and those attended are invited to attend the service in plaid shorts if they would like.
