The Ontario Regional Driving Championship, the second of four regional events, propels us further along the path to the 2024 National Driving Championship (NDC) in Trois-Rivières, Que., on July 5.

Standardbred Canada (SC) is pleased to confirm the following field of nine drivers for the Ontario Regional Driving Championship, which is set to take place on Tuesday, April 23 at The Raceway at Western Fair District in London, Ont.

• Tyler Borth
• Travis Cullen
• Travis Henry
• Trevor Henry
• Brett MacDonald
• James MacDonald
• Bob McClure
• Garrett Rooney
• Louis-Philippe Roy

This is the sixth time The Raceway at Western Fair District will host the Ontario Regional Driving Championship; The Raceway also hosted the National Driving Championship in 2016.

“All of us at The Raceway are proud to once again host the Ontario championship,” said Greg Blanchard, the track’s Director of Equine Programming. “We are looking forward to an incredible day of racing and I personally feel that this is as strong a group of drivers as have ever been assembled for this event. It is going to be a lot of fun.”

The field of nine includes Canada’s Driver of the Year for 2023, James MacDonald, along with runner-up, Louis-Philippe Roy.  The 2022 NDC Champion and Canada’s representative at the 2023 World Driving Championship, Doug McNair, is not required to compete for a position in the Ontario Regional Driving Championship, following SC's recent regulation and has been invited to compete in the 2024 National Driving Championship at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivières, Que., on Friday, July 5.

The nine drivers will participate in nine competition races. Each race will have eight drivers competing, with one driver sitting out in each race. 

Drivers will receive points based on their finishing position. The first and second-place finishers from the eight-race competition will advance to the 2024 National Driving Championship, which is set to take place on Friday, July 5 at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivières, Que. They will be joined by the two finalists from each of the other regional championships (Western, Quebec/Eastern Ontario, and Atlantic).

Invitations were extended to drivers based on racing criteria from their 2023 season up to Feb. 29, 2024. Additionally, drivers were required to confirm their availability for both the 2024 National Driving Championship and the 2025 World Driving Championship. 

The draw for the Ontario Regional will be facilitated by Standardbred Canada. The format will allow drivers to participate in selecting the horses they will drive.

First, there will be a draw to determine the order of the draft (first through eighth) for the first Ontario Regional race. A random number generator will then be used to determine the draw for the next eight races to ensure each driver has the opportunity to draw a first through eighth pick. Following the draft will be the post position draw to ensure that every driver drives from post one through eight for the competition.

The winner of the 2024 National Driving Championship will be invited to represent Canada in harness racing's 2025 World Driving Championship, hosted in New Zealand and Australia.

(Standardbred Canada)