Murray McConnell Passes

Published: May 5, 2017 05:31 pm EDT

Trot Insider has learned that longtime harness racing industry participant Murray McConnell of Hagar, Ont. passed away suddenly on Friday, May 5 at the age of 74.

McConnell was the owner and operator of Casimir Farm, Ontario's most northern commercial Standardbred nursery. The 160-acre farm is located midway between the cities of Sudbury and North Bay, near the hamlet of Hagar.

McConnell also served on numerous industry committees, with terms on the Standardbred Canada Board of Directors as well as its Breeders Committee.

A native of Regina, McConnell grew up in the harness racing hotbed of London, Ont. After spending summer holidays with his family on Manitoulin Island, McConnell developed his fondness for northern Ontario. He moved to the region in 1970, eventually fulfilling an ambition to own a farm to house his few saddle horses. He found his farm on the outskirts of Hagar.

His initial venture into horse ownership came with several partners investing in a $1,000 claimer at Sudbury Downs by the name of Rob Ron Judge. It was not a profitable venture and the son of Ritzy Don became a saddle horse. But the experience led McConnell to meet trainer Rheal Bourgeois at an afternoon's chuckwagon races at St. Charles.

"I liked Rheal because of his honesty," said McConnell, in a Trot Magazine interview. "We hit it off and formed a partnership in 1976."

The pair maintained a partnership for the next decade, with McConnell then shifting his focus to his breeding operation. Starting with Willis Hanover (an Albatross half-brother to Walton Hanover), McConnell's Casimir Farm became a stallion station with a number of familiar faces from the Ontario Sires Stakes program, including the likes of Lime Time, Shore Patrol, Make A Deal and Merrilywerollalong. The farm currently stands O'Brien Award winners Sir Luck and Up The Credit.

McConnell's Casimir farm prefix can be found on horses across North America. His most notable performer as a breeder is 2004 Canadian Pacing Derby and O'Brien Award winner Casimir Camotion p,1:48.3f ($1.96 million) while also boasting 55-time winner and $969,000 earner Casimir Jitterbug p,1:49.3s and Casimir Bad Boy p,1:49.4f ($590,000).

Trot Insider will provide further details and arrangements once they become available.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Murray McConnell.

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