The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), celebrating its “Diamond Anniversary” 75th year, held its annual meetings this past Saturday (Feb. 18) and Sunday (Feb. 19) at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in this central Florida city.

The Dan Patch Awards Banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment, provided its usual fitting climax to USHWA’s annual weekend gathering of its directors and membership; the honours accorded Bulldog Hanover and the other stars of the sport in 2022, human and equine, have already been written up and disseminated in the trade media.

Of the USHWA Directors, including Officers, Past Presidents / Life Members, and At-Large / Chapter Directors, 27 came together Saturday afternoon to examine and plan a framework for the Association’s operations. Extended presentations covered the sport’s Hall Of Fame in Goshen NY, and how USHWA and the Hall would face the problem of the Communicators Hall Of Fame running out of exhibit space; the Social Media output of USHWA, which will be expanded and bring more focus to USHWA-related accomplishments and activities; and how the group can continue the momentum built by the record amount of sponsorship and dinner journal advertisement sales that allow USHWA to maintain a solid financial structure and thus present a first-class Dan Patch Banquet every year.

The Directors also voted for Tim Bojarski, multitasking communicator for outlets in Ohio, Massachusetts, and his native New York, and the late Dave Brower, a Meadowlands mainstay and nationally-known broadcaster who tragically passed away last fall at age 53, to appear on the summer ballot for possible election into the Communicators Hall of Fame (there was a separate release on these choices sent out Saturday evening). The group also made updates and refinements into its operating by-laws and rules and regulations, often after spirited discussion and voting. 

Some 45 members of the organization, including the Directors, attended a Sunday morning meeting focusing on the General Membership of the Association. The highlights of the major activities occurring during Saturday’s gathering were recounted and were a topic of continued conversation, and reports from both all of the Committees that oversee major areas of USHWA activity and from the Officers of the Association were delivered. Any questions the membership had on any aspect of USHWA were encouraged and answered.

 The slate of Officers from this past year were again voted a one-year term in their respective positions: Barry Lefkowitz as USHWA’s President; Michael Carter as 1st Vice President (Carter was an excused absence as he welcomed his daughter Anabelle Caroline into the world on Valentine’s Day); Heather Vitale as 2nd Vice President; Bill MacDonald as Treasurer; and Jerry Connors as Secretary. The immediately-previous president of USHWA, Kim Rinker, serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors via by-law and also will remain an Officer.

In a time of contraction in many areas of harness racing, USHWA actually added to its Active membership during the 2022-2023 period, revealing the dedication of USHWA’s members and the excellent coverage they provide of the best of racing, while also serving as an outreach/recruitment tool for bringing “fresh blood” to the sport. This core group, along with any recruits, will continue to allow USHWA to host its annual acclaimed awards banquets and continue to knowledgeably vote to recognize the best and brightest in harness racing, both human and equine.

(United States Harness Writers Association)