The Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association recently honoured Pictonian Farms’ Tony Zuethoff with its Glen Kennedy Memorial Award for his contribution to the breeding of Standardbred horses and his success in Atlantic Canadian harness racing.
As an article by the New Glasgow Evening News explains, Zuethoff isn’t one for the limelight, but he is in the game for the right reasons.
“I enjoy breeding good horses, I like what I’m doing, and that’s where the accomplishment comes from,” he said. “That is the satisfaction – getting a good offspring with a horse.”
Zuetoff, who is the president of the Maritime Breeders Association and a Standardbred Canada director, came to Canada in the mid-1970s. He and his wife, Gerda, purchased a dairy farm in Nova Scotia’s Shiretown and began to transform the spot into what is now Pictonian Farms, the breeding nursery whose foals are known across the industry for their ‘Pictonian’ prefix.
“Your peers in the industry – when they think you have accomplished something, that means more than anything else,” Zuetoff was quoted as saying.
Zuetoff admitted to the New Glasgow Evening News that was not even sure if he felt comfortable with the public recognition. He is comfortable, however, seeing Pictonian Farms’ youngsters mature into successful individuals out on the racetrack.
“You’re always hoping for the big champion,” he said.
(With files from the New Glasgow Evening News)
