The best humans and horses on the Pennsylvania fair circuit this past year were honoured on Saturday (January 13) at a banquet held at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort.
The best humans and horses on the Pennsylvania fair circuit this past year were honoured on Saturday (January 13) at a banquet held at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in this town in the southwest portion of the state, during a dinner that was held after the USTA District 7 meeting that had taken place earlier in the afternoon.
Blankets in the stable colours were given to the connections of the horse who earned the most points based on finish during the 20-stop Keystone State fair circuit.
Honored were:
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLT
GRAPPLE HANOVER (265 points), trained by Wayne Long for owners William Kreutzer and Denton Barrett.
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLY
CRITICAL HANOVER (303 points), trained by Todd Schadel for owners Christine and Cody Schadel.
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING COLT
VENIER HANOVER (410 points, most of any two-year-old), trained by Dave Brickell, who shares ownership with Mitchell York.
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLY
PRETTY PROUD (365 points), trained by Rich Gillock, who shares ownership with Barbara and James Richardson.
THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLT
PHOTO BOMBER (336 points), trained by Linda Schadel, who shares ownership with Tony Schadel.
THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLY
ALL SET LETS GO (453 points, most of any horse at the fairs in 2017), trained by John McMullen Jr. for his family’s McMullen Stable LLC.
THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING COLT
CRUISERWILLWIN (352 points), trained by Todd Schadel, who shares ownership with Christine Schadel.
THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLY
BELLA RAGAZA (443 points, most of any pacer), trained by Linda Schadel, who shares ownership with Roxanna Buffington.
The team behind the winner of the Fair Championship races at the Meadows in early October was awarded with a personalized jacket commemorating their achievement; those horses were:
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLT
HOCKEY HANOVER, Stallion Series champion and Fair Champion at two, trained by John McMullen for his McMullen Stable LLC.
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLY
NICOLE HANOVER, trained by Tom Loughry for Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING COLT
CIRRUS DE VIE, trained by Roger Hammer, also co-owner with Vicki Fair.
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLY
PRETTY PROUD, also top divisional point-winner, trained by Rich Gillock, who shares ownership with Barbara and James Richardson.
THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLT
ROCKEFELLER LINDY, trained by William Daugherty Jr. for owner Susan Daugherty.
THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLY
ALL SET LETS GO, Fair Champion at both two and three, also top divisional point-winner, trained by John McMullen for his family’s McMullen Stable LLC.
THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING COLT
MIDWAY ISLAND, fastest-ever championship winner at 1:52.2, trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver-Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and David Wills.
THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLY
BELLA RAGAZA, also top divisional point-winner, trained by Linda Schadel, who shares ownership with Roxanna Buffington.
Personalized jackets were also awarded to the PA Fairs’ ‘Top Guns’: Chris Shaw, the leading driver of the cotton candy circuit in 2017, and Roger Hammer, for the umpteenth time the leading trainer.
The various horsemen’s associations involved in conducting the banquet were gracious enough to let the Keystone chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association honour the people they voted into the second group elected to the Pennsylvania Harness Hall of Fame: Walter ‘Boots’ Dunn, Roger Hammer, Harry Harvey, Jim Simpson, and ‘veteran’ judge Joe McGraw. Many in the extended families of these outstanding horsemen continue to have connections with the fair circuit, and they proudly came before the crowd for the tribute to the Pennsylvania champions honoured.
(PHHA/MSOA/PFHHA)