William Connelly

Horse Racing Builder- Special Legends Class of 2025

Born and raised in Edmonton, William Connelly developed a lifelong passion for harness racing alongside his father at the old South Side Exhibition grounds. Many believe that without his dedication, harness racing in Alberta might never have survived. In the early 1950s, he persuaded the Edmonton Exhibition Association to hold a short meet, though it was dropped the following year. By 1961, with only seven harness racing horses in the province, Connelly personally leased tracks in Alberta’s two major cities as well as Saskatoon and advanced shipping costs to ensure the sport continued.

Harness racing became a true family affair, with Connelly running the tote board, his wife handling the charting, and their six children selling tickets and programs. In 1962, winter racing expanded to Ladner, British Columbia, completing the circuit. He later sold the operation to the Edmonton Exhibition Association in 1967, having focused on building the sport from the grassroots up. Recognizing that the future of harness racing depended on breeding, he invested heavily in that sector and introduced night racing in Edmonton, Calgary, and Ladner.

Connelly also served as an original member of the Edmonton Eskimos Board of Directors. In recognition of his lifelong contributions to horse racing and sport in Alberta, he was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.