By Sue Finley
Richard “Dick” Brodie, a prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder who campaigned and bred horses primarily under the stable names Andrew Farm and RJB Bloodstock passed away August 16 after a battle with COPD. He was 84 years old.
A Detroit-based industrialist and the owner of Wico Metal Products in Warren, Michigan, he was a civic leader, philanthropist, and supporter of the arts in Michigan.
He first became involved in Thoroughbred racing in 1972, buying $2,000 claiming horses at Hazel Park in Detroit.
“Thanks to a man by the name of Bobby Scanlon, here I am (at Saratoga),” he told the Real Players Inside the Backstretch in 2023. “He introduced me to the gentlemen at Coolmore, and most of the horses they offer me, I take a little piece of. I breed all my mares to Coolmore stallions.”
Andrew Farm campaigned horses in partnership with owner prominent owners, including Mountmellick Farm (David Fennelly), For the People Racing Stable (T. Mike Morgan), and Will Stroud.
Among the horses he campaigned alone and in partnership were Life of Joy (Gun Runner), winner of the 2025 Rags to Riches Stakes and GII Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks; Her World (Ire) (Caravaggio), who won the Tyro Stakes for trainer Wesley Ward in her first start; No Nay Hudson (Ire) (No Nay Never), winner of the GII Nearctic Stakes; Duveen, winner of the GIII Palm Beach Stakes and GIII Crown Royal American Turf; and Verstappen (War Front), winner of the 2023 GII Elkhorn at Keeneland. He was also an active breeder and commercial consignor and buyer across major Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton auctions, regularly partnering on pinhooks, yearling sales, and broodmares. He was a member of the Keeneland Club and the Thoroughbred Club.
He is survived by wife of 62 years, Joanne, two daughters, Margaret Williams, and Pauline Fisher, and grandchildren Brodie, Hudson, Madeleine, and Ben Fisher, who was his constant companion at the races over the past several years.
He also leaves behind saddened friends from the Coolmore team, including M.V. Magnier, Paul Shanahan, and Charlie O'Connor.
“He was one of the most entertaining men I have ever met in my life,” said O'Connor. “We were extremely close. I would hold him in regard as one of my best friends. The world won't be the same without him. He was very close with everybody here at Ashford. He always stayed in the guest house at Ashford Stud, we have great, fond memories of his time here.”
Brodie will be remembered for his leadership, generosity, and unwavering commitment to the people and institutions he supported. Whether in business, the arts, thoroughbred racing, or the organizations he served, he believed in active engagement, meaningful contribution, and pursuing excellence without compromise.
A memorial service celebrating his life will be held Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. A celebration of life will follow at Bloomfield Hills Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made to The DAC Foundation in support of the Ted Gillary Employee Academic Scholarship Fund, 241 Madison Street, Detroit, MI 48226 to continue Brodie's legacy of investing in the education and future of others.
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