Larry Drysdale has been the Farm Manager for Winbak Farm of Caledon, ON. since 2005, when the powerful Maryland-based operation entered the Ontario breeding market.

Larry began his 40-year career in the Standardbred business on the racing side by working for two of the sport’s all-time great horsemen–Joe O’Brien (four years) and Jack Kopas (two years).

In 1978, he joined Armstrong Bros. Farms and served as Yearling Manager at that famed nursery for 27 years.

Today, with assistance from his wife Jackie, Larry runs Winbak Canada’s a very successful stallion station and breeding operation on the Caledon, ON former site of the Armstrong Bros. dynasty.

Larry has been an SBOA Director now for five years.

Can you describe your breeding farm for us and how the business operates?

We have a stallion station with 10 stallions and around 20 broodmares. Each breeding morning the vet comes in and examines the mares to see who needs to be bred that day. We then choose a tease mare for the day.
Our office staff takes semen orders and then we create a Breed list. Our stallioneer, Janice, then brings the stallions to the breeding shed where I do the collection. My wife Jackie then extends the semen, packages it and sends it all over North America.

What do you look for in a breeding farm employee?

I have always been a firm believer that either a person has “horse sense” or they don’t. And you can find out pretty quickly either way.

Who is your favourite horse that you have raised?

I had lots of favourites when I worked for Armstrong Bros. However, my current favourite is our homebred filly Mutinys Child, owned by Jackie and myself and our son Dan. She’s trained by Frank O’Reilly and we are having a great time watching her race in the OSS.

Who do you think you have learned the most from about the breeding business?

I have always had an interest in pedigrees and have a lot of knowledge in that regard. As to the actual management of stallions and mares and breeding shed procedures, I would have to give a lot of credit to Dr. Moira Gunn who is always on call for any questions I may have. Our farm veterinarian, Dr. Chuck Hall has also been very helpful.

What do you think it takes to succeed in the breeding business today?

You have to have good broodmares and good help. You also need a crystal ball to see what stallions will be in vogue three years down the road.

What do enjoy most about the business?

I would have to say I enjoy interacting with all the great people in the Standardbred business. I find these people so generous, especially when someone is down and out and needs help. I’ve made so many lifetime friends who are horse owners, farm owners, trainers, grooms and drivers.

What do you consider the toughest part about being a breeder?

I think raising a yearling for two years, taking it to the sales ring and not being fairly compensated.

How many yearlings are you selling this year and where?

We are selling 30 in the Canadian Open and 30 in the Forest City Sale. I also go to Lexington and Harrisburg and help sell yearlings for Winbak there.

Can you tell us one thing you think most people don’t know about you?

I’m very pro-military…Canada and the U.S. I’m thankful to the veterans for the lifestyle we are able to have today.

Who is your favourite broodmare and why?

My favourite broodmare over the years was Sparma Hanover. She was a Star’s Pride out of Spry Rodney. I took care of her as a 2 yr old for Joe O’Brien, and then she became a broodmare at Armstrong Bros. We sold a yearling out of her in Lexington for $325,000 (Armbro Charger) which was quite a thrill for me.

How do you unwind away from the business?

I love golf. It’s a great distraction from the business. We love to travel too, especially to warm places in the winter. We also have two grandchildren who give us a lot of pleasure.

What has been your most memorable experience in harness racing?

I was working with Joe O’Brien and was there the day Steady Star broke Bret Hanover’s world record. At that time, 1:52 was quite a mile.

Who is your favourite racehorse of all time?

My favourite racehorse of all time is Fresh Yankee. She raced against aged horses in 56 consecutive Free For All trots and never finished worse than second. This was quite a feat back in the 70’s where they didn’t have classes exclusively for fillies and mares. Not bad for a $900 yearling.

If you could spend a day with anyone (living or dead), who would that be? And why?

I would spend the day with Arnold Palmer. I find him so down to earth and his integrity is second to none. He was a great friend of Delvin Miller. And he’s a native of Pittsburgh, as my wife Jackie is.

Breeder Spotlight…Larry Drysdale

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