The New York Sire Stakes and USTA District 8 hosted their annual awards banquet on Sunday, Nov. 12 at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York to recognize and honour horses, owners, drivers and breeders of the 2023 season. 

During the banquet ceremony, USTA District 8 honoured New York Sire Stakes two-year-old pacing colt champion Boston Rocks as its Horse of the Year (pictured above). The homebred Boston Red Rocks-Scirocco Sarah colt was trained by Michael Deters and Steve Elliott and owned by Peter Blood and Rick Berks.

Additional awardees are as follows: 

USTA District 8 Individual Awards 

Driver of the Year: Jason Bartlett 
Trainer of the Year: Ake Svanstedt 
Breeder of the Year: Crawford Farms LLC 
Owner of the Year: Purple Haze Stables LLC 

New York Sire Stakes Individual Awards 

Leading Driver: Jason Bartlett 
Leading Trainer: Ake Svanstedt 
Leading Breeder: Crawford Farms LLC

County Fair Individual Awards 

Leading Driver: Mark Whitcroft 
Leading Trainer: Cheryl Davis Whitcroft 

(With files from New York Sire Stakes)