Guests of honor included Kent Oakes of Standardbred Canada, Egmont MP Robert Morrissey, and Land and Environment minister Robert Mitchell, PCHC president Kingsley Walsh, and 2006 Hall of Fame Inductee, Doug Brown.
Brown traveled from Ontario to share his successes and harness racing stories to the enthusiastic crowd at the year-end awards. His career saw him win more than 8,400 races while seated as a sought after catch driver in central Canada, including winner of $89 million for driving horses.
“It’s a great honor to be here,” said Brown, the top O’Brien Award winning driver of all time and perennial leading reinsman on the Ontario Jockey Club Circuit. “The Island has just been such a great supporter of harness racing for many years, and it’s a pleasure to be a guest speaker tonight.”
The thrill of harness racing has been an Island tradition that dates to the 1880’s.
“We have a wonderful horse racing following, especially here in Prince County,” said Vance Cameron, MC for the event. “Our numbers for attendance would be greater than what you can find in downtown Toronto with the Jockey Club… I mean, the people support us here incredibly.”
Attendees were from all parts of the Island and every aspect of the standardbred industry.
Dr. Colleen Dickie, president of the P.E.I. Standardbred Horse Owners Association, came from Charlottetown to offer her support and present the Fan Favorite award.
“Harness Racing is a very important industry to the Island,” she said. “If we want to see the industry survive, then we should be willing to put our time and effort into doing that by volunteering. This is why you see so many people tonight because they want the industry to do well, and they are willing to volunteer their time and effort.”
Event sponsors included Noonan Petroleum, ALC Red Shores, and Meridian Farms.
2016 Award Winners
Top Driver (50+ Starts): Marc Campbell
Top Trainer (50+ Starts): Terry Gallant
Top Percentage Driver (25-49 Starts): Keith Campbell
Top Dash Winning Driver (25-49 Starts): Adam Merner
Top Percentage Trainer (25-49 Starts) Ralph Sweet
Top Dash Winning Trainer (25-49): Ralph Sweet and Sirfroi Melanson
Groom of the Year: Madonna Morrison
2 Year Old Pacing Filly: Good Morning Ky
2 Year Old Pacing Colt: Mick Dundee
2 Year Old Trotting Filly: Revenue of Windemere
2 Year Old Trotting Colt: Howmacs Survivor
3 Year Old Pacing Filly: Every Time and Southfield Sassy
3 Year Old Pacing Colt: Heart and Soul
3 Year Old Trotting Filly: Rustico Duchess
3 Year Old Pacing Colt: Mr Bower
Fan Favorite: Minor Wisdom
Claimer of the Year: Casimir Luciano
Aged Trotter of the Year: I Aint No Lady
Aged Pacing Mare of the Year: Minor Wisdom
Aged Pacing Horse of the Year: Motorino
Horse of the Year: Casimir Luciano
Breeder of the Year: Wendell Williams
Frank Daniels Memorial: Sandra Cole
Standardbred Canada Owner of the Year: Shelly Gass
Philip and Henry Doucette Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award: Lloyd Hannah
Garth Schurman Memorial: Jason Hughes
Horsewoman of the Year: Deanna Clow
Horseman of the Year: Ralph Sweet
By Desiree Anstey
