Blacksmith and horseman Arthur J. Davignon Sr. passed away peacefully on August 13, 2021 at his home in Poland, Maine surrounded by family.
Arthur was born in St. Gregoire, Que., on October 27, 1931 to Irene (Gemme) and Lucien Davignon. He was one of nine children. He is predeceased by his mother and father, and siblings: Lea, Annette, Denis, Lise, Raymond, and Jean. He grew up in Brome, Que. on the family farm and worked with his father and grandfather; here he learned the value of hard work at an early age and started to forge his passion for horses.
He started his harness racing career in 1950, winning his debut pari-mutuel race, and just like that, he was hooked. He raced all over Canada, prior to coming to the United States in 1969. He raced from Maine to Maryland, and many tracks in between. He always said he had done exactly what he wanted to do in his life and had great success.
Arthur was an exceptional blacksmith who honed his craft over the years. He was very keen at identifying exactly what each horse needed, and people often came to him to diagnose the problem. Arthur was a longtime member of the Canadian Trotting Association and the U.S. Trotting Association. He has won a few driving championships along the way, as well as: “Comeback driver at the age of 52” in Saratoga. Arthur still holds the track record at Ballston Spa, New York with Precious Don.
Arthur was a very modest man, not one to boast about his accomplishments, but he did love to tell a good story about his horses, good or bad. A few that were notable from Macha Stable: Farly and Precious Don; and of his own stable: Lucky Lane, Andys Boy, Herbie Foss, MJs Rosie, The Last Zing, RPS, Inside Outing, Terra Cotta Bay and countless others. Before retiring, Arthur was stabled at Cumberland Fairgrounds, Cumberland, Maine.
Arthur is survived by his wife of almost 30 years, Spring (McNamara) Davignon, his daughter Christine (Dan), and sons, Dale (Cheryl), Paul (Diane), Arthur Jr. (Leslie). And eight Grandchildren: Sherry, Nick, Autumn, Marc, Annette, Philippe, Etienne, Sam, and several great grandchildren, sister Hugette, brother Fernand (Diane), along with several nieces and nephews, and his beloved cat, Geoffrey.
The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. James B. Donahue of Beacon House, and his amazing team.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Arthur J. Davignon Sr., please visit the Wilson Funeral Home floral store.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Arthur J. Davignon Sr.
My condolences to the
My condolences to the Davignon family. RIP Arthur