Page 18 - November 2016 Thoroughbred Highlight

Paintings Preserve Horse Racing’s History
Myfanwy (Van) MacDonald is the rst to admit that her family is a little different in the fact that amazing and interesting things have happened in their
varied and unique lives.
Born in British Columbia, Van is the youngest of four
children born to Thomas Nixon of Ireland and Gladys Collins who moved to Canada from Great Britain.
Van’s eldest brother, Dr. Rodney T. Nixon was a champion swimmer and avid small plane owner. He set a small plane distance world record in 1977 before he crashed and died a year later when attempting
to beat his own record going a longer distance. Brother Nigel Nixon was a top social worker in British Columbia, while sister Marie was the recipient of a top citizen award in that Province.
Van was very involved in swimming and athletics and enjoyed a wonderful childhood in their waterfront home in Victoria, British Columbia. She began riding at the Victoria Riding School at age eight and at
age 12 taught her rst horse, Punch, to jump and subsequently win a novice jumping competition.
Van was always drawing and had been asked to do pictures and murals throughout her
years at school. Her drawing and
painting heightened at age 21 while
in nurse training to become an airline
stewardess.
Set up on a blind date, Van met
Ron MacDonald and the pair married
a few years afterward. Their eldest
son Ronald (Ronnie) is an engineer
with Montage Hotels, Deer Valley in
Utah. Son Roderick won a bronze
medal on the Canada Water Polo
Team during the 1983 Pan American
Games in Venezuela and is today an
accomplished corporate and small
business owner. Daughter Diana MacDonald was Miss Teen Canada in 1974 and later became the second female sports broadcaster at TSN and CBC in 1984, behind Terry Leibel.
Van’s nephew Ross Nixon (son of downed pilot Rodney) is a former Alaskan pilot and the author of Finding Carla, the story that forever changed aviation search and rescue, a book which is soon to be made into a movie.
“We all pushed the envelope,” explained Van “It’s in our genes.”
Artist Myfanwy (Van) MacDonald
in her condo studio near High Park in Toronto
Van’s inherent artistic ability can be traced throughout her family with her mother’s cousin,
Sir Sidney Cooper, the most celebrated and accomplished artist among them. While Van has plenty more stories she could tell about this branch of her family tree, it is the story of her horse racing artwork that was the intention of our interview.
This facet of her life began when husband Ron took pictures of Van riding two Arabian horses. In turn she created paintings of the photos to give to Ron for his birthday. They hung on the wall of their home in Ottawa and a man selling Azaleas door to door noticed the paintings while at the door and declared “I’ll pay you $50 if you will paint my horse.” Thus was the start of her career as a commissioned artist.
During her 22 years in Ottawa, Van used money from a legal settlement to purchase a registered Quarter horse (half
Van with her rst horse Punch
Arabian) Keechie Sunshine named after the Keechi Valley Ranch in Texas where he was born. Her horse connections kept her busy with commissions however it was a chance meeting at a business function of Ron’s that ultimately created demand for Van’s work. At the party, Van was introduced to Jackie Morold who was sombrely playing a 12 string guitar. What Van did not know at the time was that Jackie was
an heiress to the Coors Beer fortune. A few years later Jackie would start the Dwyer Hill Stable where Champion Equestrian Rider Ian Miller got his start. By this time the pair had become good friends and
Thoroughbred Highlight - Page 18 - November 2016