Standardbred Canada (SC) is now accepting submissions for the Outstanding Groom Award, sponsored by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). The deadline to nominate an Outstanding Groom is Jan. 12, 2023.
Click here for a nomination form. Submissions can be emailed to Hailey Saunders at [email protected].
Do you know a groom who has worked in the industry for more than five years, puts their horses’ health and welfare first and treats their horses with kindness and outstanding care, regardless of the horse or its ability? The candidate should have a strong work ethic, be dependable, a good sportsman and be based in Canada. Candidates must be over the age of 19. If you know or work with someone with these qualities, consider nominating him/her for this award.
Grooms, often the unsung heroes of harness racing, are critical to the success of any horse in any stable. Their relationship with the horse is by far the closest. Grooms provide the daily care and attention to the equine athletes, keeping them physically and mentally healthy and sometimes working seven days a week to make sure their horses are properly cared for.
Past winners of the Outstanding Groom Award include: Cindy Acton (2015), Teesha Symes (2016), Chantel Gillis (2017), co-winners Scott Lecain and Trevor Forgie (2018), Rachel Dupuis (2019), Brady Jackson (2020) and Susie McNair (2021).
A selection committee will review the submissions and two finalists will be announced online. The presentation to the winner will be made at the O’Brien Awards Black Tie Gala on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.