It’s been a long time coming, but it has been announced that Joe O’Brien will finally be receiving an elusive honour this week.

According to an article by The Guardian, iconic Standardbred horseman Joe O’Brien, who passed away in 1984, will be posthumously inducted into the Maritime Sport Hall of Fame this Wednesday (Sept. 19).

O’Brien, of Alberton, P.E.I. and one of the sport’s greatest-ever horsemen, will be inducted into the hall during a ceremony in Bedford, Nova Scotia.

(Left to right) Duncan MacDonald, Joe O’Brien, Fresh Yankee

According to The Guardian, O’Brien will be inducted along with Frederick Gerard Horgan (basketball), Dave Downey (boxing), Gerry ‘Red’ Ouelette (hockey), John ‘Archie’ MacGlashen (canoeing), Wayne ‘Red’ O’Brien (football) and the Spry Harbour Atoms (baseball).

In addition to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame, O’Brien is also a member of the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Standardbred Canada has endowed Joe’s legacy with its O’Brien Awards, which annually honour the best in Canadian harness racing. For more on the O’Brien Awards, click here.

For more on the legacy of Joe O’Brien, click here.

(With files from The Guardian)