SC Rewind: The Last Livery Stable

In this week's edition of Rewind Robert Smith recalls an important link that once existed between the old time livery stables and the sport of harness racing

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Back in the horse and buggy days an important business related to horses existed in most towns and villages across the country. It was called a livery stable or livery barn, and was the scene of a lot of activity. These stables served as a central boarding spot for traveling horses, and also the owner provided a sort of taxi service to all who needed a "lift" to a nearby location. Horses and people came and went on a regular basis, as trains were met and deliveries made. In addition to acting as a central gathering spot, a lot of "wheeling and dealing" and horse trading often took place there too. I suspect a lot of stories may have been told as well.

The tales of old often spoke of livery stable operators also being interested in engaging in the sport of harness racing. The stories recounted stable owners who came into possession of fast horses through trades or sales. Also they were always in a way training horses in their daily work, hoping that a "quick" horse might emerge and be good enough to enter in a local race.

The last person that I am aware of combining his livery business with harness racing was a man named William Tomlinson of Glencoe, Ontario. For many years he plied his trade in this little Middlesex County hamlet west of London, always housing a race horse or two as well. Once out of the original livery business, he began a new career as a rural mail carrier but his passion if you will, was always his love of racing. I am indebted to his grandson Barry Herbert for sharing some of his precious memories, which form the basis of this story. He recalls he and his brother Bill accompanying their grandfather on the mail route, listening to his stories and best of all enjoying some very special cookies packed by their "nana" for consumption along the trip. This was of course after the horse and buggy era had passed.

It is uncertain just how far back his involvement began. Old racing summaries from the area surrounding his home show participants such as Ollie Evans and Della Lockhart in the 1930's. In the 1940's Mr. Tomlinson raised a couple of fashionably bred performers by the then popular sire Corporal Lee, who stood at Strathroy. One was Corporal Bill and another one for which he is best remembered was Silver Lee; both were dapple greys. While Mr. Tomlinson did not do any of his own driving, he did break and train his own. His routine was to hitch up at his home stable and proceed to the nearby town track at the fairgrounds for daily workouts.

Silver Lee was an outstanding performer of her day and I believe became the first horse to win both the two and three-year-old Supertest Stakes; quite a feat in those days. This striking looking miss was driven in most of her starts by the well known Dresden reinsman Levi "Jiggs" McFadden. In 1949 she captured the two-year-old Supertest at Ridgetown defeating Lady Van in 2:16. The following year, facing many of the same horses, she toured the Tillsonburg oval in a speedy 2:12.2 to again take home the silverware to Glencoe for her proud owners Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Tomlinson. In the years that followed, Silver Lee continued to provide this amiable gentleman a lot of pleasure as she raced throughout the area. It was not all totally "roses" though as he was kicked by a horse while in Tillsonburg and hospitalized with a broken leg...

Mr. Tomlinson is remembered as a gentleman, always neatly dressed, often in a shirt and tie and one never too busy to visit with his friends. His daughter Jean met and later married noted horseman Jack Herbert of London. They both passed away a number of years ago but are still remembered by many.

The story of Mr. Tomlinson reminds us that many years ago people engaged in the sport of harness racing knowing very little money was to be made. They were in it for the sporting aspect, the joy of doing what they loved and what made them happy. Today, lo those many years have passed, we can look at old pictures and recall the stories of a time less hurried, yet a time fondly remembered.