7?: l‘ *t 'l .‘Al‘l‘ y. Mike ‘ a écDonald A Real Talent

here are Very liew certainties in

the harness racing industry. One

exception to that axiom was that Mike MacDonald with his wile. Judy and his daughters Laura and ;\ngie would make their annual trek to Charlottetown lrom Montreal with at least one may com— petitiye entry for the prestigious Gold Cup and Saucer 'l‘rials Mike did this lor 536 years and won the race an unprecm dented the times i twice with \mm/l [x’cti'Iz/xut‘ and once with Pear/x I’M/wit. \l'i‘lmers[Item/(ale and Sandy //(ll[()1'(’}‘. it was won liy driyers like Mark MacDonald.

lamieson. Phil l’inkney. l)oug Brown.

(iilles ltarrieau. Carl \V'ally lltV-rmessey. Mike Saltic and Paul Maclyenzie but only Mike and Gilles

liarrieau won it more than twice.

Mike MacDonald‘s haptism into the har— ness racing game came when he was ltt~ years—old. In his own words. it happened hecause, "\V'e iust liyed fltlt) yards down the road l'rom the Charlottetown race— track." Like many others. Mike was drawn by a magnetic lure to the equine actiyities going on inside the Charlottetown l)riying Park on lx'ensington Road and lixhihition l)ri\e

At that early age. Mike spent some of his time at Claude ()‘Brien's l>arn about three city hlocks lrom the C.l).P. Claude was a talented member of the ()‘Brien family which included the internationally famous kloe O'Brien. The two horses that Mike was around in Claude's harn at age l() were Him/()1) If and ()bl'o's (Np/Jun. Mike was just around these horses ohserying Claude and learning. He did not haye much to do with them heeause he was so young hut he was aware that they were two nice horses for their time As a youngstei: Mike was learning the game l‘rom capahle and talented horse— men like Claude O'Brien and Alim Mactiregor. He also recollected that liuddy Campliell was a may smart horse— man and that many in the industry went to him l'or adyice or solutions to proh—

lems they \\ ere haying with their horses.

Mike i\lacl)onald had a little stal>le at the C.l).l’. hel‘ore he eyer went “away". His first two owners were Daye lardine and \V'endell l’rol’itt and his stahle was com— posed ol‘ (lat/gli/ Nip/ting. (I'ui/ JIM/ct) and/1141'illch'ee. It was an inauspicious heginning hut. in time. the Mike MacDonald Stalile would he recognized among the top Canadian stahles.

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