Austin Cotterell Taylor
Encyclopedia
Major Austin Cotterell Taylor (CBE
) (January 17, 1889 - November 1, 1965) was a Canadian
mining
executive and developer, financier, and philanthropist who played a major role in establishing Thoroughbred
horse racing
in British Columbia
.
Born in East York
, Ontario
, Austin Taylor was educated at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario
where he would later become a member of the Board of Governors. Taylor would make his home in the province of British Columbia where he would make a fortune in the mining and lumber
industries, notably through Bralorne Mines, Ltd. of which he was President. An influential business figure in Canada, in 1934 the Wall Street Journal announced his appointment to the Board of Directors
of British Columbia Power Corp. and later was appointed a director of the Bank of Canada
.
Austin Taylor married Kathleen Elliott of Winnipeg, Manitoba with who he had three children. Daughter, Patricia Aldyen Austin Taylor
married American
conservative author and commentator William Buckley.
, Austin Taylor was part of the Canadian military and was appointed director of the Department of Aeronautical Supplies with responsibility for overseeing the harvesting and preparation of spruce
lumber for military aircraft
production. During World War II
, Major Taylor was appointed chairman of the British Columbia Security Commission, a provincial government agency created to manage Japanese Canadian internment
. In recognition of his service, Taylor was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
.
Austin Taylor died at age seventy-six in 1965.
Builders category. Beyond racing, Taylor became involved with breeding
through his A.C.T. Stock Farm located near Vancouver in the community of Milner
.
According to his biography at the Hall of Fame, Austin Taylor "assembled the most powerful stable ever seen in Western Canada during the 1930s." His racing stable competed in Vancouver as well as at tracks throughout California
. In 1936, his horses won every handicap of importance at the Tanforan Racetrack
meeting
including Indian Broom who set a world record
of 1:47 3/5 for a mile and an eighth on dirt. Indian Broom went on to run third in the Kentucky Derby
and in his four years of racing won a number of races including the San Juan Capistrano Handicap. Among Austin Taylor's other successful horses:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
) (January 17, 1889 - November 1, 1965) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
executive and developer, financier, and philanthropist who played a major role in establishing Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Born in East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Austin Taylor was educated at St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
where he would later become a member of the Board of Governors. Taylor would make his home in the province of British Columbia where he would make a fortune in the mining and lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
industries, notably through Bralorne Mines, Ltd. of which he was President. An influential business figure in Canada, in 1934 the Wall Street Journal announced his appointment to the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of British Columbia Power Corp. and later was appointed a director of the Bank of Canada
Bank of Canada
The Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
.
Austin Taylor married Kathleen Elliott of Winnipeg, Manitoba with who he had three children. Daughter, Patricia Aldyen Austin Taylor
Patricia Buckley
Patricia Aldyen Austin Taylor "Pat" Buckley was a Canadian socialite, noted for her fundraising activities and her height; she stood just under six feet. She was the wife of conservative writer and activist William F. Buckley, Jr...
married American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conservative author and commentator William Buckley.
Wartime service
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Austin Taylor was part of the Canadian military and was appointed director of the Department of Aeronautical Supplies with responsibility for overseeing the harvesting and preparation of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
lumber for military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
production. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Major Taylor was appointed chairman of the British Columbia Security Commission, a provincial government agency created to manage Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment
Japanese Canadian internment refers to confinement of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. The internment began in December 1941, following the attack by carrier-borne forces of Imperial Japan on American naval and army facilities at Pearl Harbor...
. In recognition of his service, Taylor was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
Austin Taylor died at age seventy-six in 1965.
Thoroughbred racing
For his substantial contribution to the development of Thoroughbred racing, Austin Taylor was voted part of the inaugural class of inductees in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of FameCanadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
Builders category. Beyond racing, Taylor became involved with breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
through his A.C.T. Stock Farm located near Vancouver in the community of Milner
Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)
The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the U.S. border, and west of the City of Abbotsford...
.
According to his biography at the Hall of Fame, Austin Taylor "assembled the most powerful stable ever seen in Western Canada during the 1930s." His racing stable competed in Vancouver as well as at tracks throughout California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In 1936, his horses won every handicap of importance at the Tanforan Racetrack
Tanforan Racetrack
Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California was a thoroughbred horse racing facility that operated from September 4, 1899 to July 31, 1964. Tanforan was constructed to serve a clientele from the nearby city of San Francisco. The facility was named after Toribio Tanforan, the grandson-in-law of Jose...
meeting
including Indian Broom who set a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
of 1:47 3/5 for a mile and an eighth on dirt. Indian Broom went on to run third in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and in his four years of racing won a number of races including the San Juan Capistrano Handicap. Among Austin Taylor's other successful horses:
- Special Agent - won the 1937 San Pasqual HandicapSan Pasqual HandicapThe San Pasqual Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first part of January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
, at Santa Anita ParkSanta Anita ParkSanta Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
, equaling the track record; - Minulus - won the 1938 Santa Anita OaksSanta Anita OaksSanta Anita Oaks is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs on the dirt, it currently offers a purse of $300,000.Inaugurated in 1935 as a race for two-year-olds,...
; - Whichcee - wins include the 1937 San Francisco Handicap, the San Antonio HandicapSan Antonio HandicapThe San Antonio Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
, plus the inaugural running of the Los Angeles HandicapLos Angeles HandicapThe Los Angeles Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in May at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. A Grade III sprint race run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs, it is open to horses aged three and older.The 1968 race was run in two...
at Hollywood Park Racetrack in 1938; - Colonel Mack - in 1956 won the Los Angeles Handicap and the Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar RacetrackDel Mar RacetrackDel Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership...
.