It was the Terry Gallant show at the Prince County Horsemen’s Club annual awards banquet held Saturday night at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club
.
Gallant won the awards for dash winning driver, top percentage driver, dash winning trainer, and top percentage trainer (25-49 starts). He was also the trainer of aged pacing mare of the year KG Affair and horse of the year Outlawpositivcharg.
The night capped off a stellar and emotional season for Gallant where he won the Governor’s Plate then lost his biggest supporter, his mother, a few months later. Gallant was just happy with the season he put in.
"When you work hard you get what you earn," he said.
He says Outlawpositivcharg’s owner Fred Lamont is the kind of owner you would want.
"If [Fred Lamont] was in Calgary tonight and the horse was racing tomorrow he’d be where the horse was. It’s great to have him here tonight."
Joanne Stewart, of Albany, was horsewoman of the year.
Stewart is the owner of race mare Little Jojo, infamously known on PEI as the horse that wears the pink harness.
The award meant a lot to Stewart and brought to the forefront her memorable moments in the sport. She was formerly the groom for tough racehorse Burnin Burnin (Little Jojo’s father) who was a good horse for her to work with.
"I jogged him up and down the road. I used to meet combines on the road and he was real quiet."
Horseman of the year was Barry Biggar, who is a longtime owner and trainer in Summerside and is the current president of the Prince County Horsemen’s Club.
Provincial treasurer Wes Sheridan was on hand to remind people of all the positive steps Island racing is taking in face of a reeling national harness racing industry.
"Quebec is falling apart, there are rough numbers in Alberta, while PEI is a shining star," Sheridan said.
Award Winners
Dash winning driver
• Terry Gallant
Top percentage drivers (50+ drives)
• Terry Gallant
• Marc Campbell
• Robert MacInnis
Top percentage driver (25-49 drives)
• Rocky Schurman
Dash winning trainer
• Terry Gallant
Top percentage trainer (50+ starts)
• Alan Sweet
Top percentage trainer (25- 49 starts)
• Terry Gallant
Two-year-old pacing filly
• Larshegoes
Two-year-old pacing colt
• Urge To Win
Two-year-old trotting filly
• Rustico Silverstar
Two-year-old trotting colt
• Dunmore Laird
Three-year-old pacing filly
• Cruising Hillary
Three-year-old pacing colt
• Tobins Star
Three-year-old trotting filly
• Rustico Trisox
Aged trotter of the year
• Countyline Bio
Claimer of the year
• JK Crusher
Aged Pacing mare
• KG Affair
Aged pacing horse
• Stenaman
Horse of the year
• Outlawpositivcharg
Owners of the year
• Wendell and Robbie Shaw
Frank Daniels Memorial Award
• Gus Doucette
Joe O’Brien Memorial Award
• Carl MacDougall
Horsewoman of the year
• Joanne Stewart
Horseman of the year
• Barry Biggar
Appreciation Awards
• Eric Johnston
• Gordon Grady
(Journal Pioneer)