Page 12 - May 2017 Thoroughbred Highlight

New Beginnings for George Ledson
A beautiful sculpture sits prominently at the front of the Ledson home in Caledon. The sculpture “Coolin the Dogs”, is by artist Craig Bergsgaard from his Studio in Windsor Colorado and features Gus the cowboy and Dusty the horse.
Click here for more on the artist
After spending a few hours with George Ledson the take away message that he wanted me to have was that he is someone who just does his thing and no one really knows what he does. I couldn’t help but be amazed at how humble a man, considering the evidence of accomplishment and philanthropy that adorn the walls of his home and stables.
George was surrounded by horses his entire life. Both parents were accomplished riders who bred and raised showhorses in rural Markham, Ontario. His father, George Sr., emigrated from England to Canada in 1928 and was a farmer who later established himself in the Real Estate industry. His mother, Wilhelmina, who went by the name of Billie, was
said to have still been in the saddle ten days before George Jr. was born.
The second youngest of four children, George was given his father’s rst name which means tiller of soil or farmer, and the second name Phillip meaning lover
or friend of horses.
George grew up riding and competing with horses
as well as showing cattle with the 4H Club which
later lead to farming and selling beef cattle. At age
18 George began working for Inter-City Truck Lines giving him the foundation to start his own trucking company, Cavalier Transportation in 1979. Cavalier, the name of a show horse jumper George Sr. rode in the 1960’s, quickly grew into a fully licensed freight carrier providing domestic and US service in Southern Ontario, Quebec and Great Lakes regions.
Married to wife Bonnie for more than 56 years, the couple’s three children have established careers in Cavalier Transportation and will continue in their roles at the company despite the opportune sale of the family business to Quebec based Trans Force (TFI International) in January of this year.
Today, a age 78, the now retired George will keep active overseeing his commercial real estate
Thoroughbred Highlight - Page 12 - May 2017