Barbara J. Minshall (born November 6, 1953) is aCanadianThoroughbredracehorse trainer and owner who has competed both in Canada and the United States. She is the widow ofCanadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inducteeAubrey W. Minshall,[1] the successful breeder and owner of the 350-acre (1.4 km2) Minshall Farms nearHillsburgh, Ontario.[2] Following her husband's death in 1993, Barbara Minshall, having been involved in the operation of the farm, continued the business and became a licensed trainer in 1999.
Born inMontreal, Quebec, Ms. Minshall was raised around horses and as a young lady rode jumpers and qualified for the Canadiandressage team for theSummer Olympics and thePan-American Games. In her first year as a trainer in Thoroughbred racing, Barbara Minshall became the first woman to train the winner of aCanadian Triple Crown race when the Minshall Farms coltKiridashi won thePrince of Wales Stakes atFort Erie Racetrack.[3] She followed that up by being voted the 1996Sovereign Award asCanada's outstanding trainer and her Minshall Farms won theSovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder andOutstanding Owner.[4]
Among her other top horses have beenMt. Sassafras,Bold Ruritana, andStephanotis. Mt. Sassafras was the 1996Canadian Horse of the Year andCanadian Champion Older Male Horse. On March 29, 2021, Mt. Sassafras was one of three horses named as a finalist for induction in theCanadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in its Thoroughbred Veteran Category.[5]