More than 300 horsemen, legislators and friends of harness racing turned out for Friday’s 17th annual Delaware Standardbred Owners Association (DSOA) Awards Dinner at Modern Maturity in Dover, Delaware.

The annual DSOA meeting at mid-day preceded the awards-dinner and its early evening cocktail hour. As usual, the popular Heather Vitale served as Mistress of Ceremony and presented videos of award winning horses plus colourful, fun-filled videos of high spots of her weekly “Post Parade” programs on WBOC TV.

The highlights of the 2013 racing seasons featured top horses of the Dover Downs and the Harrington Raceway meets. A silent auction to benefit Horse Lovers United, Inc., a Not-for Profit organization which provides a residence and care for retired horses, was held in conjunction with the banquet.

Here are the DSOA 2013 award winners:

The 3rd annual James T. Case, Jr. DSOA Horizon Award (to a horseman making outstanding progress during year) was presented to harness driver Allan Davis, one of the sport’s rising stars. Davis drove winners of around $600,000 in purses in 2012 and that figure mounted to $3,2-million in 2013.

The James T. Case, Jr. 1,000 Scholarship in memory of the longtime DSOA President was presented to Erica Brittingham, attending Del. Tech &U Community College majoring in Physical Education.

Again this year, the DSOA gave out a total of $6,000 in Scholarship awards. The recipients of awards are Brent Ashley, Virginia Tech majoring in Dairy Animal Science; Amber Callahan, De. Tech & Community College major in Agriculture Business Management; Brooke Gannon, a Nursing major at Wesley College; Kierston Gray, Wor-Wic Community College Major/Secondary Education/Counseling; Morgan Jewel, Wesley College, Education Major and Wade Z. Marsh, Duke University, major in Religious Studies & Divinity..

DSOA Horses Honoured

Two-Year-Olds: Trotters – (colt) Whichwayrightrleft (filly); Kelseys Command;
Pacers – (colt) Casino Bags Carlo, (filly) Seboomook Fool Yah

Three-Year-Olds: Trotters – (colt) Triple Command, (filly) Starlit Eyes
Pacers – (colt) Hot Roddy, (filly) Bags Of Stars

DSOA Horses of the Meet at Dover Downs

Horse of the Meet – Nova Artist
Trotter of the Meet – Awsome Valley
Claimer of the Meet – Lislea Miles

DSOA Horses of the Meet at Harrington Raceway

Horse of the Year – People Are Crazy
Trotter of the Year- Can Do
Claimer of the Year – Lislea Miles

The DSOA Special Appreciation Award was presented to Delaware representative Danny Short, a member of the Delaware Firefighters Hall of Fame, and Heroic Fireman of the Year Award

A highly successful silent auction of harness memorabilia to benefit Horse Lovers United under the supervision of its founder, Lorraine Truitt, was supported for the care for horses whose racing careers had ended.

(Dover Downs)