Byron McClelland

Who was Byron McClelland?

Byron McClelland was an American Thoroughbred horse racing owner and trainer. He was one of the best known horsemen of his era who won the three races that would eventually constitute the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing series.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Byron McClelland's father trained horses and his brother, John W. McClelland, also trained horses in California. Young McClelland worked as a stable boy but, urged into a different career by his mother, left his job to go to work for a local newspaper. Nevertheless, the newspaper's owner operated a horse racing stable and offered the knowledgeable twenty-year-old McClelland a chance to train his horses. Five years later, success led McClelland being hired by H. Price McGrath, owner of the prominent McGrathiana Stud. Within a short time he left to set up his own racing stable in partnership with Mr. Dick Roche. McClelland proved to be not only a very capable trainer, but also an astute judge of horse talent. For the new partnership he turned an August Belmont castoff named Badge into a significant winner. McClelland purchased Badge for a "song" after the prominent owner had given up on the colt. Having accumulated sufficient capital, McClelland chose to go his own way and in November 1889 the McClelland-Roche stable was sold at auction at the Elizabeth, New Jersey race track.