Village Squire, 1978-11, Page 45The Fawns' highest money -winner
overall was Eddie Mac Junior, a brother of
Edna McKillop. He was also undefeated as
a two-year-old in the early 40s and would
have been undefeated as a three-year-old.
if a blacksmithing error had not cost him
one win. He earned a total of $39,000, and
Gordon explains it was a significant
amount in those days because the largest
purse Eddie Mac raced for was $4,200.
Although Edna McKillop and Eddie Mac
Junior were Gordon's most consistent
winners. they weren't his fastest horses.
The fastest was a filly named Edna F.
Scott, that he raced in 1953 and 1954.
"She could fly!" he chuckles. "But she
was unpredictable. I never knew what she
was going to do."
In all his years of racing, Gordon was
never involved in a serious accident,
although he ended up in the infield a few
times. It was a crazy business, he says, but
he had a lot of fun in spite of the
"inconveniences around the old tracks."
He remembers sleeping at tracks, such
as the old Dufferin Raceway in Toronto,
which is now a plaza. Three or four hours of
sleep a night was the most he could expect.
If he drew a late race. he tried to sleep in
the afternoon but had to cover himself with
netting to escape from the flies.
For two years in the 1950s. he raced at
Saratoga. Florida. The season lasted from
June until October. and when school ended
in Canada. his wife and son joined him.
They rented a small apartment near the
track.
He describes the changes that have
taken place in harness racing over the
years as "marvellous." The sport has
come a long way from the days of
"standing starts."
One thing hasn't changed. though. he
observes: "If you lose money. it's a hobby;
if you make money. it's a business. But you
can't win anyway, because the govern-
ment takes it in taxes."
Harness racing wasn't the only sport
that interested Gordon. He began playing
hockey at the age of 14 and played for
teams in Mitchell. London and Stratford.
Thanks to hockey. he says. he was able to
get his education. In those days. junior
teams imported players from other cities.
pro teams backed junior teams, and junior
players were given money for education.
room and board as well as spending
money. He attained most of his education
while playing for a junior team in Stratford.
A defenceman. he was nicknamed
"Dirty Dutch Fawm." "1 don't think 1
played dirty." he muses. "but I had a job
to do and I did it."
He remembers playing in the old Mutual
Street arena in Toronto and in the old
London arena. He doesn't think he would
have made it in the big time. although he
vas offered several pro contracts. He
turned them down because playing pro
hockey gave little security in those days
and he would have been away from his
family for long periods of time.
A broken back in 1936 ended his hockey
career and eventually led to the end of his
harness career as well. Arthritis set in and
forced him to retire from racing in 1959. He
went out on a positive note winning both
heats of his last meet in Simcoe, driving
Medium Lad.
When he retired, he sold all his horses
because he did+t't believe in keeping them
if he couldn't train and drive them himself.
He didn't lose the "disease," though.
He still attends at least one or two race
meets a week, around South-western
Ontario. For a while, he and his wife kept
an apartment near Greenwood, and one
year they stayed for 13 weeks. Recently
they visited relatives in Winnipeg -the first
time they had travelled west of Ontario -and
one of the "must" attractions was the
Assiniboine Raceway.
Besides receiving 11 major awards for
his achievements in harness racing,
Gordon. was cited by General Motors in
1973 for "outstanding sales performance."
He admit he got to the point he didn't
know what to do with all his plaques and
silver trays. but `Re adds they were all
appreciated.
In August of this year, the Canadian
Trotting Association named him a
"Canadian Harness Pioneer" in recogni-
tion of his work to promote harness racing
in Canada and his efforts to improve
breeding stock in Canadian harness
racing.
Perhaps even more indicative of the
respect he has earned is the fact that,
although he has been out of the harness
racing business for almost 20 years, local
horsemen still come to him for advice.
Will it keep
beating?
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306 Josephine St.,
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357-2023
November 1978 The Village Squire 43