The Otago Harness Racing Awards for the 2024 season were held on Friday night at The Loan and Merc in Oamaru.

The Horse of the Year award was won by trotting filly Empire City (Volstead) owned by Peter and Janet Argue and trained by Phil Williamson.

She won four of her eleven starts and was placed a further four times earning $197,836.

As a three year old Empire City won the Group Two Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Classique, the Group Two Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Trotters Championship and the Group Three Northern Trotting Oaks.

She ran second in the Group One New Zealand Trotting Derby and the Group Three Hambletonian and third in the Group One Northern Trotting Oaks.

Other awards included:

Southland/Otago Trainers and Drivers Association Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt Or Gelding Of The Year

Prosperity trained by Graeme Anderson and Mike Love

Waikouaiti Trotting Club Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt Or Gelding Of The Year

Tarragindi trained by Phil Williamson

Central Otago Trotting Club Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly Of The Year

Atlantic City trained by Phil Williamson

Tuapeka Harness Racing Club Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt Or Gelding Of The Year

Keltic Tiger trained by Kerry Kelly

Forbury Park Trotting Club Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly Of The Year

She’s A Jewel trained by Matthew Williamson

North Otago Harness Racing Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt Or Gelding Of The Year

Brother Johnson trained by Phil Williamson

Kurow Harness Racing Club Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly Of The Year

Empire City trained by Phil Williamson

Southern Harness Racing Inc Four Year-Old Pacing Entire Or Gelding Of The Year

Tabasco trained by Brad Williamson

Oamaru Harness Racing Club Four-Year-Old Pacing Mare Of The Year

Terra Sancta trained by Matthew Williamson

Roxburgh Trotting Club Four-Year-Old Trotting Entire Or Gelding Of The Year

Moment Of What trained by Amber Hoffman

Oamaru Jockey Club Four-Year-Old Trotting Mare Of The Year

Aroha Kenny trained by Phil Williamson

Otago Equine Hospital Five Year-Old & Older Pacing Entire Or Gelding Of The Year

One Change trained by Amber Hoffman

IRT Horse Freight Five-Year-Old & Older Pacing Mare Of The Year

Haley Robyn trained by Matthew Williamson

Majestic Horse Floats Five-Year-Old & Older Trotting Entire Or Gelding Of The Year

Love N The Port trained by Phil Williamson

Garrards Horse & Hound Five-Year-Old & Older Trotting Mare Of The Year

Sheza Gift trained by Phil Williamson

Otago Trainer of the Year

Matthew Williamson: 321-39-31-39 $550,724 UDR 0.1256

Otago Driver of the Year

Matthew Williamson: 785-82-74-82 $1,253,483 UDR 0.1916

Otago Junior Driver of the Year

Kerryn Tomlinson: 335-30-36-34 $389,256 UDR 1.1831

Southern region Amateur Driver of the Year (shared)

Mike Love: 2-1-0-0 $5,675 UDR 0.5000
Barry White: 6-1-1-0 $8,515 UDR 0.2593

Farmlands Broodmare of the Year

One Over Kenny

Otago Breeder of the Year

Bev Williamson

Contribution to Otago Harness Racing

David Heffernan

Otago Horse of the Year

Empire City trained by Phil Williamson

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink