The Legend Committees have voted to induct two inductees in 2025: Roberta Marie “Bobbe” Huntress Erdman and Wilma Kennedy.
The Legend category of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was originally introduced as a four-year millennium project to honour Canadians who had a significant impact on horse racing at home or on the International scene or those from the International community who had a significant impact on Canadian racing. After the initial run, the category was paused for several years before being revived in 2013 to acknowledge additional figures who played pivotal roles in the development of Canadian horse racing. The most recent additions to the category were Dan Patch in 2019 and Man o’ War in 2020.
In recent years, the CHRHF has undertaken extensive historical research to uncover previously overlooked individuals and horses - those “Unsung Heroes” and “Trailblazers” whose contributions helped shape the sport in Canada. As a result, the Legends category has been reactivated once again, with new inductees set to be honoured in 2025.
The Legend Committees have voted to induct two inductees in 2025.
Roberta Marie “Bobbe” Huntress Erdman – 2025 Standardbred Legend Inductee
As an American who made a lasting impact on Canadian harness racing, Roberta Marie “Bobbe” Huntress Erdman spent much of her ground-breaking career north of the border. On the track, she was celebrated for her sharp driving skills and standout performances – most notably her remarkable season with Wee Irish and a stunning streak of six consecutive wins with Wee Ginger at Connaught Park in 1955, when she was just 19. She returned to Connaught Park in 1959 and continued to compete across Canada, setting track records at Old Woodbine in 1961.
Off the track, Huntress was a vocal and courageous advocate against sexism and discrimination in the sport. In the 1960s, she challenged restrictive licensing rules that effectively barred women from participating in extended race meetings unless they had previously held such licenses – an exclusionary policy that froze out new female talent. Speaking out against these barriers, she famously said, “Arguments against our sex driving horses are often ridiculous.” She pointed out the hypocrisy of allowing women to race at dangerous, poorly maintained fair tracks while denying them access to safer, professional circuits.
Huntress’s fierce advocacy and visibility helped shine a national spotlight on harness racing. She was featured in Sports Illustrated‘s “Pat on the Back” column and appeared on the popular television show To Tell the Truth. Alongside fellow pioneers like Mildred Williams, CHRHF Class of 2012 and Georgette Plouffe, she paved the way for future generations of women in racing.
With decades of service to the industry as both a skilled horsewoman and an unrelenting trailblazer, Bobbe Huntress left a powerful legacy of courage and progress. She passed away on September 2, 1998, but her impact on the sport continues to be felt.
Wilma Kennedy – 2025 Thoroughbred Legend Inductee
Wilma Kennedy was a proud Canadian horsewoman from Winnipeg, Manitoba, whose pioneering spirit shattered barriers for women in Thoroughbred racing – particularly in Western Canada. Born Wilma Patricia Chesney in 1910, she began her career at Polo Park, her hometown track, where she made a name for herself as a fearless and capable trainer. In a time when the racetrack backstretch was virtually off-limits to women – aside from a few trainers’ wives – Wilma not only entered the male-dominated world of horse racing, she transformed it. As one admirer put it, “Wilma didn’t just break barriers, she exploded them.”
In her mid-20s, Wilma began breeding, owning, racing, and training her own Thoroughbreds, defying social norms and carving out a space for women in a traditionally closed industry. Her talents soon took her far beyond Manitoba. Throughout the 1940s and ’50s, she trained at major tracks across North America – including Belmont, Saratoga, and Aqueduct in New York; Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in California; Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky; and many more.
One of her most notable partnerships was with Tinkham Veale II, a prominent Cleveland industrialist and philanthropist. As the principal trainer for Veale’s successful racing stable, Wilma conditioned Vital Force, a top-class stakes winner in the late 1950s. Under her guidance, Vital Force captured prestigious races such as the Tremont Stakes, Worlds Playground Stakes, Cherry Hill Stakes, Christiana Stakes, and Lafayette Stakes – defeating major competitors like Ouija Board, Bally Ache, Mr. Howard, and Neshenun.
Wilma Kennedy’s impact extended internationally. Over the course of her career, she bred, owned, and trained Thoroughbreds in Canada, the US, England, France, and Germany. She managed extensive breeding operations in Florida, Kentucky, France, and Canada, and was admired for both her horsemanship and leadership. In recognition of her accomplishments, she became the first woman ever elected to the American Thoroughbred Trainers Club. In the 1990s, a stakes race at Ellis Park was named in her honour.
Wilma Kennedy passed away at the age of 90, leaving behind a powerful legacy as a trailblazer, mentor, and icon in the world of Thoroughbred racing.
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame 2025 Legend Inductees will be formally inducted as part of the organization’s Induction Gala, scheduled to take place at the Mississauga Convention Centre the evening of Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
For information about the CHRHF Class of 2025 or to purchase tickets to attend this year’s Induction Gala visit: canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/2025/05/01/tickets-now-on-sale-for-canadian-horse-racing-hall-of-fame-2024-induction-gala/
Source: Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame