Nominations for the Cam Fella Award are now being accepted and must be received by November 30, 2012 to be considered for the 2012 award.

The Cam Fella Award was introduced at the 1997 O’Brien Awards. The award was designed to honour the kind of extreme meritorious service that Cam Fella provided to the nation’s harness racing industry and, fittingly, he was the first recipient.

Being a champion is a rare feat, but to earn the titles on three fronts --- on the racetrack, in the breeding shed and as an ambassador to the sport --- is something very unique. Cam Fella died in May of 2001 at the Kentucky Horse Park where he had lived for several years and served as an ambassador of the standardbred breed.

The most recent recipient of the Cam Fella Award was Admirals Express in 2010. 'The Admiral’ was owned by Ed and Cheryl Sayfie and Laurel and Gary Gust of Michigan. He was trained by Mike Hales and driven in most of his races by Paul MacDonell.

Admirals Express enthralled the racing industry and fans with his on-track performances, but his connection to fans and horsepeople transcended his ability on the racetrack. His indomitable spirit, the emotion he evoked, and the excitement he stirred within us when he raced made The Admiral unique and somewhat of an icon within the Canadian harness racing industry.

The past winners of the Cam Fella Award are listed below.

2010 - Admirals Express
2009 - Ross Galbraith
2008 - Somebeachsomewhere
2007 - Ann Curran
2006 - Ralph Klein
2005 - Dr. David C. Reid
2004 - Armstrong Bros. Farm
2003 - The Honourable Mitchell Murphy
2000 - The Honourable Michael D. Harris
1997 - Cam Fella

The Cam Fella Award is not a lifetime achievement honour as the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame serves that distinct function. The award is given out when warranted, not necessarily annually, to recognize extreme effort and dedication to Canadian harness racing by an individual or group who, through their efforts, displays some of the same qualities that made Cam Fella one of racing’s greatest names.

Criteria

The Cam Fella Award honours extreme recent meritorious service to the Canadian harness racing industry and is awarded when warranted, not necessarily annually.

Voting Process

A National Election Committee comprised of 16 representatives of the standardbred community, vote by secret ballot on those nominees put forward by the Nominating Committee. To win the award, a potential candidate must receive the majority of the Election Committee’s votes. There is no restriction upon nominees --- they can be individuals, a group or organization, a horse, etc. In a year when there is a winner, the honour will be presented at the annual O’Brien Awards.

To Nominate

To submit a nomination, please send a detailed explanation of why you feel your nominee meets the criteria outlined above. Nominations are kept confidential in order to avoid disappointment should the nomination not be successful. Submissions should be directed to:

Kathy Wade Vlaar ([email protected]) at
Standardbred Canada
2150 Meadowvale Blvd.,
Mississauga, ON, L5N 6R6
Fax: 905-858 3089

Nominations must be received by November 30, 2012 to be considered for the 2012 award. Nominations without supporting documentation will not be considered.