Career
He brought the last Belgian horses out of Europe before World World War II prevented any more exports. He was also involved in harness racing, first at Aurora Downs in Aurora, Illinois, then at Hawthorne Race Course. The Dygert Memorial Trot, run at Hawthorne, is named after him.
In 1954, Dygert founded and was the sole proprietor of Suburban Downs, Incorporated., a harness racing association that began operations at Maywood Park under a lease agreement.
Erwin Dygert married and had three children: Mary (Dills), Erwin R. "Bill", Marjorie (Wallace), and Gloria (Morrison). Beulah continued to work at the Hawthorne Race Course until her late eighties.
His family owns Dygert Farm on Elk Saint in Springville, New York, home to the Erie County Fair, and where People’s Warner trained Jim Thorpe for the 1912 Olympics.
