Macdonald Benson
Encyclopedia
Macdonald "Mac" Benson is a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
trainer
. A resident of Woodbridge, Ontario
, Benson came to Canada in 1978 to train for E. P. Taylor's
renowned Windfields Farm
. Since then, horses trained by Benson have won ten Sovereign Award
s and four Canadian Classics.
Mac Benson embarked on his professional training career in 1958 and began by working for prominent Delaware Thoroughbred
owner, William duPont, Jr.
He later would operate a public stable, racing at tracks in Delaware
, New Jersey
, and Maryland
. Among his clients in the early 1970s was another duPont family
member, Bayard Sharp, who was a founding director of Delaware Park Racetrack and a former president of The Blood-Horse Inc.
magazine. In 1976, Benson was offered a job by the head of operations for Windfields Farm who raced in Canada and the United States, and who maintained breeding operations in Maryland and Ontario
.
Settling in the Toronto
area in 1978, Mac Benson met with instant success as head trainer of the E. P. Taylor racing stable. He remained with Windfields Farm through the death of E. P. Taylor in 1989 and would later train for American George W. Strawbridge, Jr.
and Robert J. Costigan of Vancouver, British Columbia. Still active in 2009, at age 76 Mac Benson trained Costigan's filly
, Arravale
, to 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year
honors.
In 2002, Mac Benson was inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
.
Canadian 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....
trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
. A resident of Woodbridge, Ontario
Woodbridge, Ontario
Woodbridge is a large suburban community in the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto in Southern Ontario. It was once an independent town before being amalgamated with nearby communities to form the city in 1971. Its traditional downtown core is the Woodbridge Ave...
, Benson came to Canada in 1978 to train for E. P. Taylor's
E. P. Taylor
Edward Plunket Taylor was a Canadian business tycoon and famous breeder of thoroughbred race horses. Known to his friends as "Eddie", he is universally recorded as "E. P...
renowned Windfields Farm
Windfields Farm
Windfields Farm is a six square kilometre thoroughbred horse breeding farm founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor originated with a property near the city of Toronto known as Parkwood Stable when it was owned by...
. Since then, horses trained by Benson have won ten Sovereign Award
Sovereign Award
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
s and four Canadian Classics.
Mac Benson embarked on his professional training career in 1958 and began by working for prominent Delaware 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...
owner, William duPont, Jr.
William duPont, Jr.
William duPont, Jr. was an American businessman and banker and a prominent figure in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. A member of the Delaware Du Pont family, he was the son of William du Pont and Annie Rogers , and brother to horsewoman, Marion.In 1919, he married Jean Liseter Austin...
He later would operate a public stable, racing at tracks in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Among his clients in the early 1970s was another duPont family
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
member, Bayard Sharp, who was a founding director of Delaware Park Racetrack and a former president of The Blood-Horse Inc.
Blood-Horse Publications
Blood-Horse Publications is an American multimedia publishing house focused on horse-related magazines.Blood-Horse Publications is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Their book-publishing arm is Eclipse Press...
magazine. In 1976, Benson was offered a job by the head of operations for Windfields Farm who raced in Canada and the United States, and who maintained breeding operations in Maryland and 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....
.
Settling in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
area in 1978, Mac Benson met with instant success as head trainer of the E. P. Taylor racing stable. He remained with Windfields Farm through the death of E. P. Taylor in 1989 and would later train for American George W. Strawbridge, Jr.
George W. Strawbridge, Jr.
George W. Strawbridge, Jr. is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman, and philanthropist.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he was the son of Margaret Dorrance and stockbroker George W. Strawbridge, Sr.. He studied at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where he...
and Robert J. Costigan of Vancouver, British Columbia. Still active in 2009, at age 76 Mac Benson trained Costigan's filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
, Arravale
Arravale
Arravale is an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse in Canada. Racing at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack, at age 2 Arravale won two of her first three starts....
, to 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year
Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year
The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honor in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing....
honors.
In 2002, Mac Benson was inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian 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....
.