The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) held its annual meetings this past Saturday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 22, returning to the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in this central Florida city. 

The Dan Patch Awards Banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment, on Sunday evening again provided the highlights of the weekend; the honours accorded Dan Patch Horse of the Year Beau Jangles and the other stars of the sport, both human and equine (mainly for 2025 accomplishments but in some cases recognizing career achievement), have already been written up and disseminated in the trade media.

Twenty-seven USHWA directors, including officers, active past presidents/life members and at-large/chapter directors, worked on Saturday morning into the afternoon to examine and plan a framework for the association’s operations in 2026 and for years beyond.

Both old and new business were brought before the directors, suggested by various segments of the membership and were explained to and examined by the group. (A piece of old business was a decision by specially-appointed committees on two items “tabled” during the 2025 meeting.) Preliminary routes to accomplish such ends as met favour in the often-spirited discussion were established.

The writers made updates and refinements into its operating bylaws and rules and regulations, with the large number of suggested modifications often accompanied by wide-ranging discussion, leading towards voting on both sides of the proposals at hand. These topics included a re-adoption of a Veterans/Immortals section of the Communicators Hall of Fame (a committee will be formed to put together the underlying structure) and an examination of the eligibility of USHWA members to receive certain awards.

As previously announced, the directors also voted to place Kim Rinker and the late Barry Lefkowitz, both with longtime distinguished accomplishments in their respective sections of harness racing, onto the summer ballot for possible election into the Communicators Hall of Fame.

Fifty-three members of the organization, including the directors, attended a Sunday morning meeting designed for the general membership of the association. The highlights of the major activities occurring during Saturday’s gathering, especially the proposals of change to the association’s bylaws and rules and regulations along with the actions directors took on said proposals, were recounted and were a topic of continued conversation.

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.

Heather Vitale was elected by the membership as USHWA president, moving up from the first vice-president’s chair. Derick Giwner and Heather Wilder were elected to the first and second vice-president spots, respectively. Retaining their roles, Bill MacDonald was voted as treasurer and Jerry Connors as secretary. Michael Carter, now the immediate past president of the association, is via the bylaws the chairman of the board and also has attained lifetime USHWA member status and a gold USHWA membership pin.

USHWA lost a net 13 active members from last year’s meeting to this one, not unexpected given the installation of mandatory $15 USD annual dues from retired members. On the other hand, there are seven communicators currently working through the USHWA joining process.

USHWA reported that the mixture of “core group” and “young blood” will allow the association to carry on hosting its annual acclaimed Dan Patch Awards banquets and continue to knowledgeably vote to recognize the best and brightest in harness racing, both human and equine.

(USHWA; photo of officers of the U.S. Harness Writers Association 2026-2027, from left: Michael Carter, Chair of the Board; Jerry Connors, Secretary; Bill MacDonald, Treasurer; Heather Vitale, President; Derick Giwner, 1st Vice-President; Heather Wilder, 2nd Vice-President)