The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has chosen Ellen Taylor, executive director of the Harness Horse Youth Foundation (HHYF), and Ottawa-area horsewoman Ann Curran, the creator and co-coordinator of the popular Mildred Williams International Women's Driving Series, to receive the Proximity Award and LeeAnne Pooler Unsung Hero Award, respectively.

The Proximity Award, second only to election to the Hall of Fame among the awards bestowed by USHWA, recognizes outstanding, continuous service towards the betterment of harness racing.

Established in 1976, the non-profit Harness Horse Youth Foundation addresses youth education throughout the United States and Canada. Its stated mission is 'to provide young people information and experiences with harness horses.'

Residing in Westfield, Indiana, Taylor spends the entire year in the endless undertakings of soliciting resources, plotting logistics, evaluating candidates and otherwise preparing for the summer-long itinerary of camps that takes her and her herd of trottingbred ponies to venues as distant as the Calgary Stampede and as central to the sport as the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The league's first camp was put on in 1999 at Hoosier Park in Indiana, with 20 youngsters, ages nine to 13. Since then, the camps have expanded, with several different camps held each year across North America. Each five-day camp has 12 kids, and during this time, each student learns everything about the daily routine of caring for a horse and, more specifically, harness horses.

The late Margot Taylor, the undisputed 'first lady' of Indiana Harness Racing and past president of the HHYF, was honoured with the 1994 Proximity Award. How wonderful it is that her daughter Ellen is now recognized with the same award for her tireless work in executing the growth and expansion of her mother's dream: work that provides invaluable and long-lasting benefits to North American Harness Racing.

Named for the late LeeAnne Pooler, the Unsung Hero Award is given annually to a member of the harness racing community who may otherwise go unrecognized for his or her exemplary work.

The Mildred Williams International Women's Driving Series is designed to promote the sport of harness racing, foster positive press, market to the missing demographic of young women, and provide women with the opportunity to participate and raise money for women-related charities, as well as honour a female pioneer (Mildred Williams) in the sport.

Curran contacted racetracks to host series legs and co-ordinate the participation of the women drivers. Not only did she take full responsibility for organizing and promoting the series, she was also a competitor.

The series kicked off on June 27, 2006 at the Hippodrome de Trois-Rivieres (now known as Sulky Trois Rivieres) and events were also hosted at several tracks in Ontario and Quebec.

In 2007, the schedule expanded from 11 tracks to 37 venues to include numerous tracks in the United States.

A total of 73 female drivers made at least one start in the Mildred Williams Driving Series in 2007, while in 2008, 76 competed at 35 tracks throughout North America.

The 2007 and 2008 series saw the racetracks asked to select a charity and all of the drivers participating in the series agreed to donate the majority of their earnings to that charity.

In 2007, over $92,000 was raised for a variety of charities and that number was surpassed in 2008.

Curran was the recipient of Canada’s prestigious Cam Fella Award in 2007 for her achievements in running the series.

Taylor and Curran will receive their awards at the Night of Stars awards banquet on Wednesday, February 4, at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

(USHWA)