A donated breeding to Mister Big, a Standardbred sensation, raised $6,500 for Equine Guelph, the horse owners' and care givers' non-profit education center at the University of Guelph. The breeding was donated by the horse's owner, Joe Muscara Jr.

"We are 150 years into a grand experiment of developing a horse that can pull a cart real fast. Most of that time, we did what our grandfathers did," said Muscara. "Now, with the rapidly accelerating scientific discoveries in all facets of equine endeavours, that is not enough to excel–not even enough to survive.

"You need the tools to evaluate what is new; Use what is good and avoid what is not. Equine Guelph did not teach us how to train Mister Big, but it did give us the tools to evaluate what we were doing and the confidence to stick with the plan over three magical seasons," Muscara explained.

Ted Smith from Mississauga won the breeding, which was auctioned at the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association banquet and awards evening in January. Smith is the president of Standardbred Canada