Said simply, Russ and Lois Bennett are the most successful Thoroughbred breeders in the history of the province.

Flying Magic, hero of the 1967 British Columbia Premiers Championship, became the first of more than 40 stakes winners produced at their Flying Horse Farm at Westbank on the shores of Okanagan Lake.

They have bred four Diamond Futurity winners: Madly Magic, Diamodes, Designated Todrive and Lady X, and have won the colt division of the British Columbia Stallion Stakes six times and the filly division four times.

A list of their more successful runners reads like a who's who of British Columbia horse racing: Travelling Victor, a Canadian Champion and earner of $775,000; Brandy Magic, Exhibition Park track record holder for 1 1/8 miles, plus Skovinsky, Historical Devil, Tasty Victory, Superbly Honest, Darcea, Travelling Round, Easy Triumph, Hurried Romance, Billy Blue and Lively Lord.

Their home-bred Travelling Victor, a son of Hail to Victory, was their best runner and was well on his way to establishing a reputation as an outstanding sire when he died suddenly.

At this time they stand Claim, Don's Choice, Dixieland Brass and Maudlin, the sire of grade one stakes winner, Mecke.

Russ Bennett was an accomplished rider of show horses and gravitated into racing in the late 1950's. His first horse was R.J. Lad, a runner whose modest accomplishments hardly signaled that he was going to be on the leading edge of a dynasty.

Lois is an avid student of bloodlines and her keen eye has been responsible for some of their wisest bloodstock purchases.