On Friday (Feb. 5), Standardbred Canada elected its Officers and Executive Committee for 2021.

Bill McLinchey of Ayr, Ont. was elected as the Chair of Standardbred Canada. McLinchey will serve his first term as SC Chair, replacing Ann Straatman.

McLinchey’s first involvement in the Standardbred industry started as a teenager, by assisting his father and grandfather race a small stable at all Southwestern Ontario racetracks. He began working in the Mohawk Race Office in 2004, and later became the Manager of Racing Operations in 2010. Bill is currently leading the Standardbred Racing Department at Woodbine Mohawk Park as the Director of Standardbred Racing.

Bill has been a Standardbred Canada Director since 2017, and in that time has been a part of the Strategic Planning Committee, Governance Committee, By-Laws/Regulations/Rules/Licensing Committee and has also served as the Chair of the By-Laws Committee and O’Brien Awards Committee.

McLinchey is a member of the Unified Racing Rules Committee for both Standardbred Canada and the United States Trotting Association.

The 2021 Executive Committee was also elected to serve a one-year term:

• Bill McLinchey (Chair of the Board)

• Blair Corbeil (Vice-Chair)

• Guillaume Cayer-Richard (Chair of Breeders Committee)

• Ann Straatman (Past Chair)

• Lee Drake (Executive Committee Member)

• Andrea Rennison (Executive Committee Member)

• Paul Ryneveld (Executive Committee Member)