William James "Buddy" Hirsch (January 11, 1909 – October 25, 1997) was an American Hall of Fame trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses.
Although best remembered for his affiliation with King Ranch, in California he trained horses for several other prominent owners from the East Coast such as Harry Isaacs, Alfred Vanderbilt Jr., Joan and John Hay Whitney's Greentree Stable as well as Edward Lasker and his wife, the actress Jane Greer.
Hirsch graduated from Georgetown University and worked during the Great Depression era at a Wall Street brokerage owned by Thoroughbred racing fan and stable owner Bernard Baruch.
During World War II, Hirsch served with the United States Army and earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
He died at age 88 in 1997 at Bal Harbour, Florida,[4] and was buried next to his parents in the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, Long Island, New York.