Hans Frömming would have liked this story. The World Record Holder was a globe-trotter and most important a good-will ambassador of the German trotting sport.

And Heinz Wewering likes Bill Galvin’s spontaneous idea also. Bill Galvin is a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. For the German Trotting Derby, won by Hans Frömming eleven times, and Heinz Wewering eight times, and held at the historic Berlin-Mariendorf race track on August 6th, 2017, Bill Galvin has a whip in his luggage. It belonged to Hans Frömming, when he was at Greenwood Raceway, Toronto, for a driving contest between Germany’s driving ace Hans Frömming and Canada’s Champion Herve Filion on March 8th, 1975.

Hans Frömming was the most popular driver of trotting horses in Germany. With 5,592 wins he was the leading dash winner in the world. Heinz Wewering was his successor. He has been Germany’s dash winning champion for 29 years and won four European and two World Championship titles. More than 17,000 sulky wins stand for his reference.

Hans Frömming and Heinz Wewering are members of the German Hall of Fame of the Trotting Sport since its foundation. It makes sense that a more than 40 year old memorabilia of Hans Frömming should be preserved in the German Hall of Fame.

Both German sulky aces are well known in America, too. Hans Frömming drove the legendary Delmonica Hanover for American colours to a stunning victory in the 1974 Prix d’Amerique. Heinz Wewering claimed a sensational fourth place with Toss Out in the Hambletonian Final 1993. As the leading dash winner of all time he always stood in competition with America’s best drivers. Heinz Wewering’s predecessor as World Record Holder was Herve Filion, and his successor is Dave Palone.

Linda Rainey, director of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, is delighted about the whip exchange. “As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of horse racing in Canada, we are honoured to be part of this symbolic exchange of memorabilia. It represents the international bond that exists within the sport of harness racing, and the importance of sharing the history of our great sport.”

Linda Terhune of Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame is also looking forward to one of Heinz Wewering’s whips that will find a place in the Hall of Fame and Museum in Goshen, N.Y. It is a symbol of friendship between North America and Germany.

(Juergen Gassner)