David Paul Schmitz, a longtime and valued BloodHorse employee and outdoor enthusiast, died December 19 in Lexington, according to family and friends. He was 70.
Schmitz was born and raised in Rochester, NY, where he had a love for horses and horse racing. His interest in racing led him to attend the University of Kentucky, and in 1979 he was hired by BloodHorse as a member of the research department, which at the time had 18 employees. A year later, Schmitz transferred to the advertising department as a copywriter, where he worked until March 1988 when his line first appeared in The Blood-Horse magazine.
As part of the editorial team, Schmitz began his weekly contributions to the Dispatches news section with a segment called The Racing Front, which included updates on the previous horses’ recent victories. that has won the classified bet and the sibling of the ranked bet winner. He also contributes to the weekly Stud News column, although his content will not appear with the column until April 20, 1991. He will run the column for 22 years. The following year, was the lead writer for all stallion news during the launch and growth of BloodHorse.com, and contributed hundreds of features to the magazine and online. He retired from BloodHorse in March 2013.
When not helping document the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries, Schmitz is an athlete and golfer. He loves being outdoors whether it’s camping, hiking, or skiing.
Schmitz was adopted by his father Paul J. Schmitz, his mother Katherine D. Schmitz (Arena) and his older sister, Paula. Survivors include brothers Stephen (Sharon) and Mark; nephew Daniel (Jodi) and niece Nicole (Neil); and his best friend and longtime collaborator Loretta Rupard; along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service will be held at Lexington Cemetery on December 29 at 1 p.m. ET to celebrate his life without calling ahead. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Rochester. In place of flowers, a donation can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of David.
The Schmitz family extends their deepest gratitude to the staff at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Lexington and Baptist Health Hospital Hospice Care in Lexington for their caring and compassionate care.
