Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce that Ken Middleton and Norm Borg will co-host the 2012 O’Brien Awards.

Middleton is Woodbine Entertainment Group’s standardbred race announcer and has been a regular anchor at the O’Brien Awards. The 2012 awards will mark the tenth consecutive year that he will co-host the event.

“I’m honoured once again to be a part of such an incredibly special night,” said Middleton. “I’ve had the chance to work with some very talented people at the O’Brien Awards over the years, and working with Norm Borg for the first time is going to be a blast. He’s deeply passionate about the sport, and I’m sure he’s just as excited as I am to be asked to contribute to the event.

“Kathy Wade Vlaar and her staff make our jobs as emcees easy,” he added. “They do a ton of preparation and organizing leading up to the event, and as a result it runs like a well-oiled machine.”

Norm Borg is the voice of Rideau Carleton Raceway and the host for Trot Radio. Borg worked at Hanover Raceway from 2004 to 2006 before he attained his current job as track announcer at Rideau on April 6, 2006. This will be Norm’s first time hosting Canada’s national harness racing awards.

"When Kathy Wade Vlaar called me to tell me the news I was shocked, and deeply touched," said Borg. "To be asked to participate in Canadian harness racing’s signature awards presentation is an honour that hasn’t quite sunk in.

"The idea of working alongside a guy like Kenny (Middleton) means so much. It’s good playing with the big boys and I will do my utmost to live up to the high standards of the assignment.”

The 2012 O’Brien Awards will be held on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at the Delta Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.

For information on the O'Brien Awards, click here.