Canadian Harness Horse of the Year

O'Brien Award
Awarded for	Canadian Harness Racing
Country	Canada
Presented by	Standardbred Canada
First awarded	1989
Website	www.standardbredcanada.ca

Canadian Harness Horse of the Year is an annual award in the sport of harness racing in Canada. It is the most prestigious Canadian award among those given to a Standardbred horse. Part of the O'Brien Award program, named in honour of legendary Canadian driver / trainer Joe O'Brien, since 1989 Horse of the Year honours the top performing pacer or trotter in Canadian racing.[1] Operated by Standardbred Canada, its website states that "Every media person across Canada who covers harness racing on a regular basis receives a ballot, this includes writers for the various trade publications as well as those in print, radio and television. All Canadian race secretaries and track publicists also participate in the voting," and that "The voters' list is vigorously scrutinized each year with names added and deleted when necessary."[2]

Historical notes

Through 2015, Somebeachsomewhere is the only horse win the award twice.

Both Western Dreamer in 1997 and Blissfull Hall in 1999 won the U.S. Pacing Triple Crown.[3][4]

In 1996 and again in 2007 there was a tie.

Matt's Scooter (1989), Precious Bunny (1991), Artsplace (1992), Staying Together (1993), Real Desire (2002), Rainbow Blue (2004), Somebeachsomewhere (2008), Muscle Hill (2009), San Pail (2011) and JK She'salady (2014) also won American Harness Horse of the Year honours in the same year.

Past winners

Year	Winner	Gait	Age	Trainer	Owner	Breeder
2016	Betting Line	P	3	Casie Coleman	Ross Warriner, Steve Calhoun, Christine Calhoun, Mac Nichol, Casie Coleman	Fair Winds Farm, Inc.
2015	State Treasurer	P	6	Dr. Ian Moore	Sally & Paul MacDonald	Brittany Farms
2014	JK Shesalady	P	2	Nancy Johansson	3 Brothers Stables (Alan, Ronald, & Steven Katz)	3 Brothers Stables (Alan, Ronald, & Steven Katz)
2013	Bee A Magician	T	4	Richard Norman	Mel Hartman, Herb Liverman, Dave McDuffee	White Birch Farm
2012	Michaels Power	P	3	Casie Coleman	Jeffrey S. Snyder	Jeffrey S. Snyder
2011	San Pail	T	7	Rod Hughes	Glenn Van Camp & Rod Hughes	Glenn Van Camp
2010	Dreamfair Eternal	P	6	Pat Fletcher	John Lamers	John P. Lamers & Mary G. Lamers
2009	Muscle Hill	T	3	Gregory B. Peck	TLP Stable, Jerry Silva, Southwind Farm, Muscle Hill Racing	Winbak Farm
2008	Somebeachsomewhere	P	3	Brent MacGrath	Schooner Stables (B. MacGrath, B. & R. Petitpas, G. Pye, S. Rath, J.Bagnall, P. Dean)	Stephanie Smithrothaug
2007	Somebeachsomewhere	P	2	Brent MacGrath	Schooner Stables (B. MacGrath, B. & R. Petitpas, G. Pye, S. Rath, J.Bagnall, P. Dean)	Stephanie Smithrothaug
2007	Tell All	P	3	Blair Burgess	My Desire Stable	Tom Crouch
2006	Majestic Son	T	3	Mark Steacy	Majestic Son Stable	Peter Dennis & Mike Schertzer
2005	Admiral's Express	P	9	Mike Hales	Gary & Laurel Gust, Cheryl & Edward D. Sayfie	Pebble Creek Farm, Inc.
2004	Rainbow Blue	P	3	George Teague, Jr.	K&R Racing, LLC (Kevin & Ron Fry) & Teague, Inc.	Winbak Farm
2003	Eternal Camnation	P	6	Jeffrey Miller	Eternal Camnation Stable (Doc & Dorothy Miller)	Frederick W.Hertrich II
2002	Real Desire	P	4	Blair Burgess	Brittany Farms, R. Burgess, K. Olsson Burgess, Perretti Farms	Fair Island Farm
2001	Bettor's Delight	P	3	Scott McEneny	John B. Grant	Winbak Farm
2000	Yankee Paco	T	3	Douglas McIntosh	Harry Ivey & Dr. Tom Ivey	Yankeeland Farms, Inc.
1999	Blissfull Hall	P	3	Benjamin Wallace	Daniel Plouffe	Walnut Hall Limited
1998	Odies Fame	P	2	Harold Wellwood	Harold Wellwood & Dr. Norman Amoss	Glengate Farms
1997	Western Dreamer	P	3	William G. Robinson	Matthew, Patrick Jr., & Daniel Daly	Kentuckiana Farms
1996	Whenuwishuponastar	P	2	Robert McIntosh	R. McIntosh Stable, Seymour Grundy, Leo Beaudoin, David Kryway	New Destiny Stable
1996	Riyadh	P	6	William G. Robinson	R. Peter Heffering	Kentuckiana Farms
1995	Ellamony	P	5	Stephan Doyle	Charles A. Juravinski	Charles A. Juravinski
1994	Emilie Cas El	T	2	R. Dustin Jones	R. Dustin Jones & Wendell Cass	Angus Farm (Pierre Levesque)
1993	Staying Together	P	4	Robert McIntosh	Robert Hamather	Kentuckiana Farms
1992	Artsplace	P	4	Gene Riegle	George Segal & Brian Monieson	George Segal
1991	Precious Bunny	P	3	William G. Robinson	R. Peter Heffering	Alfred Ochsner, Jr.,
1990	Town Pro	P	3	Stewart Firlotte	Pro Group Stable	J. Brian Webster & Ray Bednarz
1989	Matt's Scooter	P	4	Harry J. Poulton	Gordon & Illa Rumpel, Charles A. Juravinski	Max Gerson

† - tie

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References

Woodbine Entertainment Group list of O'Brien award winners Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 27, 2016
Standardbred Canada article titled "About The O'Brien Awards" Retrieved September 4, 2016
Kentucky Horse Park profile of Western Dreamer Retrieved October 7, 2016
Hoof Beats magazine September 21, 2009 story on Blissfull Hall winning the Pacing Triple Crown Retrieved October 11, 2016

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[1] Woodbine Entertainment Group list of O'Brien award winners Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 27, 2016

[2] Standardbred Canada article titled "About The O'Brien Awards" Retrieved September 4, 2016

[3] Kentucky Horse Park profile of Western Dreamer Retrieved October 7, 2016

[4] Hoof Beats magazine September 21, 2009 story on Blissfull Hall winning the Pacing Triple Crown Retrieved October 11, 2016