Maritime - Bred Mare Hilda S Set Records At At least A Dozen Maritime
Racetracks
Hilda S, a black pacing daughter of Commodore Ledyard, was a foal of 1905. Her dam was Lady Hilda by
All Right and according to official Wallace Year Book records her breeder was Alfred A. S. Sweet of
Southport, P.E.I.
The Maritime - bred mare began her brilliant career in a rather modest fashion as a four - year - old in
1909.
The place was the historic track at Montague, P.E.I. and it was their initial card on a brand new track. Few
of the more than 2,500 fans that day would predict that this little track would make Canadian racing
history 38 years later when Ruppert Godfrey would take "the first photo finish" of a harness race in
Canada.
Hilda S, registered a 1 - 1 - 1 summary that afternoon and took a record of 2:59 1/4 (talk about time
suppression!).
The black mare had only one start in 1910 but was unable to make it to the winners circle as a five - year
- old.
In 1911, Hilda S had six starts at Halifax, Charlottetown, Georgetown, Montague and Vernon River. She
managed to put together a summary of 7 - 7 - 7 out of the 23 long heats. At the Halifax Exhibition, she
took a record of 2:20 1/4 in a torrid five - heat affair.
The year of 1912 saw Hilda S have but three starts and record three heat wins that particular season.
In 1913, Hilda S appears to have been driven by both her owner, Mr. Alfred Stewart, and the legendary
Peter John Conroy, father of the late Johnny Conroy.
The popular mare posted an excellent 9 - 13 - 4 summary out of 26 hard - fought heats. Her owner drove
her to a 1 - 1 - 1 finish in a match race at Vernon River over Ginger driven by the late Hammond Kelly.
Peter Conroy drove her to a new race record of 2:20 at The C.D.P. later the same year.
Great Season In 1914
What a remarkable year Hilda S and her driver Peter Conroy would have in 1914. Twenty - four times,
Hilda S would be paraded back to the winners circle and according to the "Power Report" of that year; the
homebred miss would earn more than $1,000 as the biggest money winner in all the Maritimes in the
1914 season. Before present day readers smile at this sum, remember that $1,000 in 1914 would be big
bucks at the time.
A great five - heat battle took place at Upton Park between Hilda S (Peter Conroy), Doctor Sharper (Col.
Dan MacKinnon) and Oakley H (Fred Cameron). When the dust had cleared, Hilda S sported a new
speed tab of 2:18 1/4 and Upton Park had a new pacing record.
More pacing records were set in late August at the New Annan Raceway. The mare went some brilliant
heats, lowering the then pacing standard by more than seven full seconds.
Two remarkable afternoons for Hilda S and her driver Peter Conroy took place at The C.D.P. on Sept. 23
and Sept. 24 of 1914. On the first day, the local newspaper reported a crowd of 6,500 people. The old
pacing standard of 2:17 stood on the board at trackside. It had been set and equalled by three great
pioneer pacers of the 1905 - 1906 era - Phebon W, Ada Mac and Terrace Queen, in that order.
On Sept. 23, four pacers locked in a torrid battle in a 2:19 Class Pace. They were Miss Alcyone, Hilda S,
Prince Wilkes and Dan Paine with their drivers, Col. Dan MacKinnon, Conroy, Peter Carroll and Fred
Warren, respectively.
When the dust had settled, Hilda S and driver Peter Conroy came back to a packed grandstand as a new
pacing record for The C.D.P. of 2:16 1/2 was announced.
Colonel Dan and Miss Alcyone prevailed in the next three heats, however, winning in 2:20, 2:23 and 2:20
1/4.
My how times changed! The Guardian of 1914 had this to say about the Exhibition:
"The aeroplane was a real and genuine attraction and its birdlike, graceful flights over the grounds and
surrounding country and city were watched with the keenest interest and pleasure. The management is to
be congratulated on having secured this splendid attraction".
"On the grounds, there were the usual amusements and devices for extracting spare dimes from their
owners in return for a peep at curious animals, freaks and possible frauds".
Next afternoon, after having set a new pacing record and also having been slightly injured in an accident,
Hilda S and Peter Conroy came out to write more history at this beautiful racetrack. It was a $350 free for - all and the starters were Hilda S, Vesto Boy, Walter J and Spooney Boy with drivers Peter Conroy,
Steele, Peter Carroll and Fred Warren in that order.
Hilda S posted a 1 - 1 - 1 summary that afternoon with miles in 2:17, 2:16 1/2 and 2:16, equalling her own
track record that was but a day old and setting a brand new pacing mark of 2:16 in a third heat.
A close examination of all aged pacing records for the Charlottetown Driving Park shows an amazing fact.
Since Hilda S, a Maritime - bred mare set that 2:16 all - aged pacing record at the C.D.P. in 1914, 77
years, yes 77 long years, would pass until another local P.E.I. - bred mare would sit on the throne. Her
name, you probably guessed it by now, is none other than J K Beauty, who at the age of four, set a track
record of 1:55/1 on Aug. 16, 1991. (That mile was also a Canadian record for aged mares on a half - mile
track at that time).
But back to Hilda S and Peter Conroy and their notable year of 1914.
Another event for the Island - bred pair took place at the Halifax Exhibition on Sept. 16th and Sept. 18.
Hilda S finished 2 - 1 - 1 - 1 in a big $400 free - for - all at the Nova Scotia capital city. With a short rest of
two days, she and Conroy came out again for another $400 free - for - all. In the event were nine starters.
They included the best of that time - Helen R, A Game Of Chance, Prince Wilkes, Mary Cromwell, Dan
Paine and others.
This race lasted for six exciting heats as Hilda S prevailed in a 5 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1) summary in 2:18 1/4,
2:18 3/4, 2:19 1/2, 2:19, 2:19 1/2 and 2:20 over a track rated as slow.
Later that fall, Hilda S and Conroy shipped in to the Sydney Driving Park. What a feat of endurance!
9 Consecutive Winners
On Oct. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, she posted consecutive summaries of 3 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 1, 1 - 1 - 1 and 1 - 1 - 1.
Cape Breton racefans would have only one subject to discuss around the hot stove league that winter Hilda S and Peter Conroy and their nine consecutive wins in three days at Sydney!
The numbers for Hilda S in 1914 reads as follows: out of 12 starts of 49 heats she was 24 - 12 - 6 in
summary. She had set of equalled seven track records and held the provincial racing crown of Prince
Edward Island.
Her next season, 1915, was a tough one for Hilda S. She was now racing against the best of that era.
The popular mare has six starts of 21 heats and still managed to post numbers like 5 - 11 - 4 that year.
In 1916, the old mare, now 11, set a new track record of 2:19 1/4 at Alberton. It only lasted one heat and
was broken by Sister Patch and her driver Danny Steele. She only had one heat win that year with a 1 10 - 3 summary from 18 hard fought heats.
At The C.D.P., she forced the stallion La Copia to smash her own standard as he recorded the first
pacing mile ever under 2:15 (2:13 1/2).
There are no results listed for Hilda S in the 1917 Wallace Year Book. She was either unsound or in foal
that particular year.
In 1918, Hilda S had only one race. She raced at the C.D.P. against none other than Peter Farren and
finished 2 - 5 - 3 to our first ever pacer to beat 2:10 in a race. The times were 2:19 1/2, 2:16 1/4 and 2:15.
It looked to be over as 1918 and the First World War came to an end, but the 1919 season would see
Hilda S and her talented driver Peter Conroy stage a gallant comeback at the age of 14.
The pair raced at Kensington, Kinkora, The C.D.P. and New Annan. She raced against the free - for alllers at that time, Our Colonel, Corwin Hal, Bob Mac and La Copia to mention a few.
She set a new track record at New Annan that year of 2:19 1/4 and compiled a summary of 12 - 4 - 14 in
30 tough heats.
Her last year on the race track was 1920. Hilda S is now 15 years old. She posted a 5 - 9 - 3 effort out of
26 heats in her final year and won in 2:16 1/4, a tick off her lifetime best of 2:16.
She and her faithful driver Peter Conroy were not yes done with smashing track records either.
Three more in 1920, as the battle - scarred pacer registered a 2:20 1/2 victory at North Tryon and 2:21
3/4 and 2:21 at Garfield in a second and fourth heat.
Hilda S's lifetime record reads as follows: she had 58 lifetime starts of 218 heats and managed to put
together 69 wins, 70 seconds and 47 thirds. She had a winning percentage of 32% and was first or
second 64% of the time and was no worse than third in 86% of all her races.
Research is not complete on this historic P.E.I. - bred miss, but she once held at least a dozen track
records as places like Charlottetown, Alberton, Upton Park, Garfield, North Tryon, New Annan, Montague
and possibly other smaller tracks on Prince Edward Island.
As we mentioned before in our story, Hilda S was the only Maritime - bred mare to hold the Charlottetown
all - aged pacing record in 77 years before the feat was repeated 77 years before J K Beauty came along
in 1991.
Peter Conroy
We should say a few words about the late Peter J. Conroy, father of out Hall of Famer, the late Johnny
Conroy.
Peter John Conroy was a multitalented native of Kildare, P.E.I. He was among other things, a farmer, an
outstanding blacksmith, an excellent trainer and driver of standardbred horses for several decades. Some
of the famous horses he once drove were Hilda S, Longset, 2:06 1/4 and Baby Logan. He set more than
20 track records during his splendid career before retirement in 1936.
We should refer to the late Peter Conroy as "Captain" because in his early 30's he built with his own
hands a little vessel named The Shamrock and such was his versatility that he captained her for several
years while conducting an export business between Alberton and Newfoundland ports.
And last, but by no means least, he was the father who taught the legendary Johnny Conroy his early
lessons in standardbred horsemanship.
Need we say more!