Paul Buttigieg October 24, 1946 – May 27, 2025

Paul Buttigieg was just a teenager when he discovered the racetrack. But it didn't take him long to know he wanted to be surrounded by horses for life.

Paul took that goal through half a century, built it into a one of the most successful Thoroughbred racing, breeding and training farms in Canadian history.

Buttigieg Training Centre in the town of Egbert, population 20,000, has been a fixture in Essa County, just south of Barrie, for decades. The racehorses born, raised and broken to saddle there have won hundreds of races, dozens of stakes and awards.

Paul's purple and white silks with the distinctive PMB will continue to be seen in races at Woodbine but the man behind it all  passed away May 27 after a long illness. While most knew he battled COPD for years, his passing, with his partner Sandy Giffen by his side, still came as a shock to the racing community.

Paul, who was 78, is survived by Sandy and his sons Shawn Giffen and Jimmy Goodman.

This past Sunday, Paul's homebred 3-year-old Deputy Daddy won a $65,000 maiden race to become his 672nd winner as a trainer.

 

“My Dad took massive pride in breeding his own horses and seeing them win,” said Shawn Giffen.”He enjoyed all aspects of the business, the breeding, racing and breaking and training but to see a horse that started as an embryo on the farm compete and then win was special to him.”

 

Paul worked on a farm and then at Woodbine in his younger days. He learned a lot about training working as an assistant for Glenn Magnusson, who had a successful Woodbine stable.

“I worked in the same barn as Paul back then,” said Rita Schniztler, who also went on to have a successful training career and was Paul's farm manager for several years. “He was a hard worker.”

Paul went out on his own in 1976 and won six races from 128 starters that first year as a trainer. His expanded dream, however, was to buy his own farm.

That happened in the mid 1980s when he bought the Egbert property and began to build on it.

“I remember Dad taking us around the farm and doing ride-a-longs,” said Shawn. “He would drag us to the track in the mornings too.”

Both Shawn and Jimmy worked for Paul both both seemed to prefer the farm life over the racetrack. Paul's first son, Glen, followed in his Dad's path and trained horses for a few years. However Glen died tragically in a boating accident in 2006.

 

As his horse population on the farm and racing stable grew, Paul hired Ricky Hiyashi as his Woodbine assistant. Rita Schnitzler would soon return to Paul's world as farm manager.

Paul's first big horse came in the early 1990s. Rushiscomingup, purchased as a yearling for just over $5,000 became a multiple stakes winner of almost $400,000. A few years later he developed James Michaels' Strait from Texas,a Kentucky bred mare into a graded stakes winner of over $500,000. She was later sold as a broodmare prospect for $300,000.

Gypsy Ring, produced from a mare he bought as a yearling for $4,000, won stakes and earned over $600,000.

Certainly the best horse Paul ever bred was Phil's Dream, who still resides on the farm today. A son of Ontario sire Philanthropist and the second foal of an obscurely bred British mare, Phil's Dream won the Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes at Woodbine and was voted the 2013 Champion Sprinter. He earned just shy of $1 million.

“He made all of this by himself,” said Rita. “And he started with nothing.”

The farm soon became one of the every few go-to places for Ontario horsepeople to send their young horses to be broken or lay-up over the winter. Most notable among his clientele has been Hall of Fame trainer Bob Tiller who had his Horse of the Year and multi millionaire Pink Lloyd learning his lessons with the Buttigieg team. Tiller's current stakes star Patches O'Houlihan is also a graduate of Paul's farm.

When Rita retired to look after her ailing mother, Ian Dick took over and for the past two decades, has continued to unleash winners from Paul's farm.

In fact, in 2024, Paul's 28 winners at Woodbine was the most he has had since 1980.

The Buttigieg Training Centre is still a busy place today even though Paul had been housebound for this year.

“There are some 30 mares, not all are his, and weanlings, yearlings and some 2-year-olds,” said Rita, who recently flew in from her home in New Brunswick to be with the family during Paul's last days.

“We been good friends for years. I accepted his Mint Julep Award from the CTHS last year for his lifetime contributions. And we usually talk a few times a week.”

As condolences poured in on social media for Paul and the family, one similar thread was his desire to help out the less fortunate.

“He was the kind of guy who would always help someone if they were in trouble. He would always given them a little bit of money.”

Not only is Paul a fixture in Ontario horse racing, but his farm often sees visitors stop along the road to pet the mini-horses or foals. “Anyone living in Egbert or nearby knows about Buttigieg Training Centre.”

There will be no change in the operation of the farm or racing stable at this time.. Ricky will continue to train the horses at Woodbine and Ian and the family will run the farm.

“We're going to try and keep his legacy going,' said Shawn. “I don't think we will be as good as dad, but we are going to try.”

Visitation and funeral arrangements will be posted on the Paul F. Kent Funeral Home website.

 

 

LongRun Ladies Lunch

 

Over 150 women attended the annual LongRun ladies Lunch at Woodbine on May 24, enjoying a day at the races, great food and a litany of prizes.

Sponsored in part by the HBPA Ontario and hosted by Woodbine in the Post Parade Dining Room, the Ladies Lunch raises funds for LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society which rehabilitates and places retired racehorses and also has some 50 permanent residents on its farm in Hillsburgh.

Prizes offered included a visit to track announcer Robert Geller's booth to watch a race, a winner's circle presentation, gift certificates and the Best Hat Award winner won a lunch for four at Woodbine.