The weekend of August 9th – 11th was a beehive of activity in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Amalgamation, the year 1999 when Southampton, Port Elgin and Saugeen Township all came under one umbrella known as Saugeen Shores.
In maintaining the history of the three communities, historical interpretive plaques have been developed. Today, there are almost 30 interpretive plaques throughout the community that tell of the town’s history and historical events.
On August 11th (2024), Saugeen Shores held its first ‘Parade of Champions’ that highlighted the many individuals and organizations that have made a significant difference in the community.
Among the highlights at the closing ceremony held at Lakeview Park in Port Elgin was the introduction and unveiling of another auspicious plaque – the first one dedicated to honour an individual, John Howard (Jack) Stafford, a famous Canadian in horse breeding and racing.
At the unveiling was long-time Stafford Farm Manager, Jim Thompson, and a Stafford favoured Hall of Fame jockey Robin Platts.
Local historian, Bill Streeter, responsible for the creation of the plaque, explained the significance of Stafford’s history and ties to the community.
“Born into humble beginnings in a log house near North Bruce, Jack Stafford had to leave school early as his mom died in childbirth when he was 12 leaving seven children with his being the oldest. He worked for farm neighbours and, as a very young teenager, went to work at the local Brush factory.
But he had dreams. He saved his money and went to Owen Sound to attend business school for a short time and got advanced English courses at night school before heading to Western Canada. While he got work in a bank in Winnipeg, he worked nights and weekends in a slaughterhouse. Next came a travelling salesman job with Proctor and Gamble (P&G) in Alberta driving a Model T Ford from town to town. British Columbia was then added to his territory and he found himself in Vancouver, where he married and left P&G to start a jam-making business with his wife. They started in their apartment, mixing batches in their bathtub and canning them in the kitchen. They opened a small manufacturing plant but lost everything when the depression hit leaving them with a large debt.
Jack then returned to Ontario and became a successful food broker organizing grain growers and food producers to come together. He made his first big money buying and selling soy beans, which funded the start of Stafford Foods, High Quality Jams and Jellies. They became a National Brand sold in Grocery stores from coast to coast.
By 1960, he was wealthy enough to enter the world of owning and racing thoroughbred racehorses, but he had never forgotten his roots in Saugeen Township and Port Elgin.
It was here that he settled his family with two farms devoted to raising the best racing thoroughbreds possible. And that he did. During the 1960s and 70s the Stafford Farm’s Red and White silks with white stars became winners throughout North America. His horses became regulars in the major stake races and they won the coveted Queens Plate on three occasions. Twice he was the leading money-winning stable in Canada, beating out E. P Taylor’s Windfield Farms, the Bronfman family’s Seagram Stables and Conn Smythe Farms. In 1979, his magnificent horse Overskate won 18 stakes races throughout North America and is one of the few horses in the Hall of Fame along with Northern Dancer.”
“ALL of these horses were born and raised here on Concession 6 at the Stafford farm across the road from what today is the Lamont Sports Park,” said Streeter. “The farm was managed by Jim Thompson, who is here today and who now lives at Arran Lake.”
Also joining the celebration was Jack Stafford’s favourite jockey, Robin Platts. Platts rode for 35 years, in more than 21,000 races, and won 3,245 times. Platts’ four Queen’s Plate victories have only been matched by Sandy Hawley and Avelino Gomez and his record has never been beaten.
Platts said that the Staffords were “… awesome people. With the trainers and the family we developed a relationship.”
He began his jockey career at age 16 and went on to become the winner of the 1979 Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey, a record four-time winner of Canada’s most prestigious horse race, the Queen’s Plate, and the recipient of the 1992 Avelino Gomez Memorial Award.
Platts will always be considered among the heavyweights of thoroughbred racing jockeys in Canada.
No jockey has registered more career Queen’s Plate mounts than Platts (25), with 10 having finished in the money.
“Overskate would have to be my favourite horse,” Platts said. “He was a fierce competitor, a little tiny guy. With today’s purses, he would’ve won $3 million easily. He was a great little horse.” (CBC article)
Platts retired at age 51 in 2000 after a career that included more than 250 stakes race victories and an impressive career that marks over 20,400 mounts, 3,245 wins and purse earnings of over $40 million.
Jack Stafford entered the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1982 and his favourite jockey, Robin Platts, joined him there in 1997.
