Shannon Crump

Shannon passed away on Monday, October 2, 2023, at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary with her family by her side, she was 72. Shannon was born on January 24, 1951 in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.

Her early years were spent roaming free on the Family farm, riding to school on horseback, and chasing them around the paddock. The Family farm was located south of Portage, in the Gainsborough area. In 1958, the Moran family moved into the town of Portage. Shannon attended North Memorial for Elementary, Victoria for Junior High, and Portage Collegiate Institute for High School. 

Shannon always had a horse in her life. She competed in Halter Western Riding and Gymkhana events all over Manitoba. In order to fund her passion, she worked as a Nurse's Aide with special needs clients at the Manitoba Developmental Center.  

In 1971, she met someone who shared the same love for horses as she did, at the Assiniboine Downs, his name was Steve Crump. On the 26th of February, 1972, Steve and Shannon were married. They were married for 51 years, and Steve was the love of her life.   

Harness Racing was their livelihood for so many years. The two of them owned, trained, and drove Standardbreds all over Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The Crump Family lived in different communities over the racing years in Manitoba and Alberta, which included their special “homes” Carman and Holland.   Steve and Shannon chose an adventurous life together, racing in a new community every weekend, and many years later selling the farm and travelling between Alberta and California racing their horses.  

Shannon loved jogging the horses, and helping out in the barn. She would always say she would rather be in the barn than the house.  If you knew Shannon, her passion other than horses, was talking and visiting.  People and relationships mattered to her.   

Shannon spent many years hauling her children to all their sports/activities. She loved watching all four children compete in hockey, rodeo, baseball, ringette, horse shows, 4-H. Anything they were involved in she was there, and could often be heard cheering the team on from the stands.  She loved her kid’s friends and they would often be found at her house sleeping on the living room floor. Her door was always open, and all the kids knew that.  

An important trait she taught her kids was compassion and to look out for others, especially the ones that needed a hand up.   

Shannon was a trail blazer in the harness racing industry. One of very few female drivers in a male dominated sport. She was a fierce competitor, this competitiveness transferred to all her kids and grandkids. In her later years she enjoyed watching her grandchildren compete and taking them to their different sports. 

Shannon is lovingly remembered by her husband, Steve; son, Kelly Crump (Nina); daughter, Jody Wynette (Sean); daughter, Dawn Van Hal (Danny); and son, Kyle Crump (Katie); 10 grandchildren, Josh, Kate, Ty, Rayne, Jesse, Hunter, Charlie, Calum, Harlyn, and Kasey. 

Also mourning her loss are her siblings, Judy Schmidt (Bart), Brian Moran (Avis), Patricia Cooke (Cliff), Loretta Hamilton (Wayne), Michelle Green (Dave); and many in-laws, cousins, nephews, nieces, her best friend Betty Manning, the harness racing family and many friends.  She is predeceased by her parents, Charles and Jean Moran (Carruthers).  

Her legacy lives on in her children and grandchildren.   

“You don’t need much in life to be happy.”  Shannon