As the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (CHRHF) celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the organization, it now has a permanent presence at Woodbine Mohawk Park, in the form of a mural.
Located on the wall across from the Armstrong trophy case, the mural lists the names of the over 500 people and horses inducted since the Hall was founded in 1976. Additionally, the mural features photos of many of the Standardbred people and horse inductees with direct connections to Mohawk and the Ontario Standardbred community. Moving forward the mural will be updated each year as new inductees are added.
"This mural is a lasting tribute to the extraordinary horses and people who have shaped Canadian racing over the years," said Bill Ford, President, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. "Having a permanent home for the Hall of Fame at Woodbine Mohawk Park ensures their achievements will be celebrated by fans and participants for generations to come. We are hopeful that this mural can be the first of many that we can role out at racetracks across the country."
The mural was officially unveiled on Saturday, May 23 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Randy Waples, CHRHF 2021 Driver Inductee; Paul MacDonell, CHRHF 2020 Driver Inductee; Mark Horner, CHRHF Director; Bill O'Donnell, CHRHF 1986 Driver Inductee and CHRHF Director; Bill Ford, CHRHF President; John Stapleton, CHRHF Director and a Past President; Jack Darling, CHRHF 2022 Trainer Inductee;
Ian Fleming, CHRHF 2019 Builder Inductee; and Brad Grant, CHRHF 2025 Builder Inductee.
The Hall's permanent site is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
(With files from Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame)