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 The
Canadian Road Horse Association is very proud to announce its 2011 inductees to
the Hall of Fame - Matt & Myrtle MacDougall. A
ceremony was held at the 2011 Royal Winter Fair to honour the family of
Matt & Myrtle.
Matt was born in Erin, Ontario and joined his father's livestock
trucking business as a teenager driving the trucks, a career that lasted
over fifty years, with Matt carrying on the trucking after his father
died. Under his management MacDougall Transport, now operated by his
son, grew getting tractor trailers and hauling hay and other products to
the United States.
In 1940, Matt and Myrtle were married and farmed from 1941 - 1947, then
moved closer to Erin. In 1945, they started showing hackney ponies with
Matt trucking and Myrtle training the ponies. They had great success
winning at major shows across Ontario and the USA.
MacDougalls bought their first road horse in 1949, Isabel Harvester and
showed at the Royall Winter Fair for the first time that fall. The black
mare won many prizes at Toronto and the fairs. Later they bought her
brothher Danny Harvester who showed along with Isabel. Other horses they
owned were Baby Doll, History Makers and Eileen Hal, then in the
seventies they bought Josedale Michael, a black powerful gelding that
won many classes.
Myrtle bought Mooreland's Jose, a beautiful black gelding with white
markings. Joe was one of the prettiest horses in the show ring and
teamed with Josedale Michael they were well matched and almost
unbeatable winning many team classes at Toronto and the fairs.
Josedale Michael showed in the over classes and stake classes at the
Royal winning numerous times while Mooreland Joe showed in the under
buggy and bike classes winning his share of them. In the early eighties
Matt and Myrtle sold Josedale Michael to United States interests and
continued to show Joe. Moorelands Joe, driven by Mary Croft, won the
Lady's Bike class at the Royal for five years. They also won the open
bike and placed second in the Championship Roadster Stake.
In 1985, they purchased Josedale Movin On, another black gelding that
matched Joe. In 1985 was the last year theys howed at the Royal Winter
Fair with Josedale Movin On winning the Championship while Moorelands
Joe won the Lady's Bike and the over buggy class. In 1986 Matt and
Myrtle moved to Florida for two years where Josedale Movin On won the
Roadster Stake at Tampa in 1987. Shortly after they moved back to a farm
they bought at Arthur. Matt's two favourite horses were Josedale Michael
and Josedale Movin On. Myrtles favourite was Moorelands Joe.
Matt's hobby was going to the races to watch the trotters that he might
be able to deal for, then turn them into a show horse. He was a mechanic
at getting a horse changed around and making it into a champion and when
they hit the show ring you knew they were ready.
Matt died in October 1991 and Myrtle in July 2009.
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