The Prince County Horsemen’s Club Awards Banquet was held on Saturday, April 27 in Prince Edward Island with a large crowd coming together to celebrate the accomplishments of horses and horsepeople from the 2023 racing season.
Horse of the Year for 2023 was awarded to Chip Of Evil, a daugher of Arthur Blue Chip who took a mark of 1:56.1 at Charlottetown Driving Park and banked more than $75,000 in her two-year-old season for trainer Eddy Doucette and Inarush Stable of Kensington, P.E.I. The filly's regular reinsman, Corey MacPherson, was named Horseman of the Year while the Horsewoman of the Year award was presented to Brooke Cameron.
Below is a complete list of the award winners.
- Top Driver Over 50 Starts – Corey MacPherson
- Top Driver 10-49 Starts – Myles Heffernan Sr.
- Winningest Trainer Over 50 Starts – Earl Watts
- Top Percentage Trainer Over 50 Starts – David Dowling
- Winningest Trainer 10-49 Starts – Melissa Rennie, Joe Baxter, Rick Armstrong, Greg MacInnis (tie)
- Top Percentage Trainer 10-49 Starts – Mike Dowling
- Rookie Driver (2023) – Brett Clow
- Rookie Driver (2022) – Kyle DesRoches
- 2023 Grooms – Judy Sizer, Sean Baxter
- Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt – Camco Laraido
- Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly – Gettin Tipsy
- Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt – Jackies Boy
- Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly – Goodmorning Nova
- Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt – Irish Ray
- Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly – Gettin Salty
- Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt – Ifucouldreadmymind
- Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly – Our Girl Annie
- Claiming Horse – J J Patrick
- Claiming Mare – Starshipsalicia
- Aged Trotter – Jessiejesorjessica
- Aged Pacing Horse – Melody Maker
- Aged Pacing Mare – Rock The Baby
- Horse of the Year – Chip Of Evil
- Sponsor of the Year – Illsley’s Feed & Farm Supply
- Breeder of the Year – Wendell Williams
- Standardbred Canada Owner of the Year – Melvin Gamester
- Joe O’Brien Memorial – Jennifer Doyle
- Earl Cannon Memorial – Paul Bigger
- Phillip, Marlene & Henry Doucette Lifetime Achievement Award – Fred MacDonald
- Bob MacInnis, Blu Meadow Willie 14-Year-Old Retirement – Adkins Hanover
- Horsewoman of the Year – Brooke Cameron
- Horseman of the Year – Corey MacPherson
Photos clockwise from top left: Jansen Sweet (far left), president of the Prince County Horsemen’s Club, presents Chip Of Evil's Horse of the Year trophy to members of Inarush Stable; Lee Drake congratulates Melvin Gamster (right) on winning the Standardbred Canada Owner of the Year Award; George Riley presents Corey MacPherson (right) with the Horseman of the Year award; Brooke Cameron (right) receives the Horsewoman Of The Year trophy from Melissa Banks.
(With files from Prince County Horsemen's Club)