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The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame sends condolences to the family and connections of British Columbia-based Thoroughbred breeder and owner Russ Bennett. Russ along with his wife Lois Bennett are the only couple to be inducted to the CHRHF together. That joint recognition speaks to the pair’s Thoroughbred achievements throughout their careers. Along with […]

A legendary Canadian both in and out of the harness racing industry, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer Dr. Roly Armitage of Dunrobin, Ont. passed away on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at the age of 99. Born in South March, Ont, on Feb. 8, 1925, Armitage became a decorated veteran, a veterinarian, horse owner and

At the Wednesday afternoon reception, Bill Ford, newly appointed President of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, welcomed a capacity crowd of racing industry supporters, Hall of Fame honoured members, and incoming inductees.  During his remarks, Ford thanked outgoing President, Darryl Kaplan, for the accomplishments during his six-year tenure in the position including several

Northern Dancer stood at stud initially at Windfields Farm in Oshawa beginning in 1965. Success came early and often for Northern Dancer. From his second crop emerged the Taylor bred, Oshawa born, Nijinsky, a future superstar.  He was purchased as a yearling at the Woodbine sales complex by American businessman Charles Engelhard for $84,000. The

What Northern Dancer lacked in size he more than made up for in willpower. He bullied his way through the early days of his race horse preparations but when he got to the middle months of his juvenile season and was on the threshold of a debut, the potential he was showing in short but

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the election of Bill Ford as President for 2024.  Mr. Ford, an executive with Woodbine Entertainment since 2011, and currently their Chief Racing Officer and General Counsel, has been a Director of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame for the past two years

The staff at *National Stud’s Oshawa foaling barn in the late spring of 1961 were at a disadvantage when the mare Natalma was close to giving birth. Because she had been a maiden, they had no previous record/pattern of what to expect or when the big moment might come. So on May 27th, a smallish

“For me, a photograph of NORTHERN DANCER on the cover of Pacemaker Magazine when NIJINSKY II had just turned 3 years old in 1970 was a defining moment. His presence jumped off the page. I had just recently witnessed his son NIJINSKY demolish his rivals in his two-year-old races so naturally I was curious about

“When I arrived at Windfields Maryland farm in the fall of 1990, Northern Dancer was standing in his spacious stall, his muzzle in the feed tub.  Biographer I might be, but he was not curious – I was merely one of thousands who trekked to Maryland to see him. Yet, as I looked into the