Standardbred › Drivers & Trainers

William "Buddy" Gilmour has been termed by many of his peers as the best driver in the sport. His abilities are held in the highest regard by both his competitors and fans.

Born in Lucan, Ontario in 1932, Buddy along with his three other driving brothers, gravitated to the sport at an early age. His formative years were spent under the tutelage of the legendary Clint Hodgins. Gilmour struck out on his own in the early 1950's and his personal record of 5,222 wins and over $40 million in purse earnings signify that he indeed ranks as one of the best. He has recorded million dollar plus seasons fifteen times during his career, a mark which puts him fourth on the all times list.

Gilmour has been fortunate to have teamed some of the sport's best horses over the years with the likes of On The Road Again, Follow My Star, Steinam, Joie de Vie and Mirror Image to have all benefited from his fine touch.

"Buddy" has always been very modest about his many successes. "Its just something you have a feeling for, I guess," he explained. "There's a communication with the horse that's hard to explain". That soft touch is vividly apparent to any one who has watched him in action. His rocking/pushing action in the stretch, rather than an all out slashing, has been often stated, a thing of beauty to watch.

Of his many highlights, Gilmour says 1985 will always hold a special place in his heart. That was the year he and On The Road Again teamed up to an almost unbeatable combination and in the process racked up Horse of the Year honours in Canada and Aged pacer of the Year in the United States. "I'll never have another horse like him," Gilmour said. "We never missed a race, he showed up at every track he was supposed to."

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