Racing fans, here’s your chance to have a say in Canadian harness racing's year-end awards!

Voting for the 2020 O’Brien Awards for fans and SC members is now open! The online voting is available until Monday, December 14 at 12:00 p.m. (EST).

Ballots have been sent to O’Brien Award voters across the country which includes race secretaries, track announcers, track communications staff, trade writers and broadcasters.

To access the online voting package, click the following link: O'Briens Voter Documentation.

Fans can vote for the first and second place horse/person in each category (exception is Horse of the Year where only one name is required). All of the fan votes received will count for one vote towards the voting results of the O’Brien Awards. There will be a limit of one vote per person (ie. IP address or email address).

The horses/people who receive a first place vote will receive two (2) points and those that receive a second place vote will receive one (1) point. The top two point earners will be the finalists in each category. The number of first place votes will be used as a tie breaker.

Eighteen O'Brien Awards will be given out for the 2020 racing season. Thirteen of these honour the premier horses over the past racing season including the most coveted trophy, Canada's Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year. The horse awards are divided by age, sex and gait.

In addition there are five awards for people, one each for Driver of the Year, Trainer of the Year, Armstrong Bros. Farm Breeder of the Year, the O'Brien Award of Horsemanship and the Future Star award.

Standardbred Canada has an O’Brien Committee that determines the candidates for the O’Brien Award of Horsemanship, the Armstrong Breeder of the Year Award, and the Future Star Award.

Here are the candidates for Horsemanship:

• Gilles Barrieau of Saint John, N.B.

• Kelly Hoerdt of Beaumont, Alta.

• Shawn Steacy of Brantford, Ont.

For the Armstrong Breeder of the Year, the committee has put forward the following candidates for the voters to choose from:

• Allan Neurauter of High River, Alta. & Surdale Farms Ltd. of Kelowna, B.C.

• Seelster Farms of Lucan, Ont.

• Warrawee Farm of Rockwood, Ont.

The candidates for the Future Star Award are:

• Rachel Andrew of Dundas, Ont.

• Francis Richard of Becancour, Que.

• Austin Sorrie of Freelton, Ont.

The finalists will be announced on Monday, December 21.

The O’Brien Award winners will be announced and honoured at the 2020 Virtual Awards Gala on standadbredcanada.ca on Sunday, January 31, 2021.