The Ontario Harness Horse Association will be hosting its seventh annual Awards Night on Wednesday, April 8 at the Guelph Place Banquet Hall in Guelph, Ont.

The cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the awards presentation and dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. Dancing will follow the awards presentation.

The trainers of the top division winners of the Ontario Sire Stakes horses of 2008 will be honoured as well as the top four Trillium money winners.

A number of grooms will be recognized with awards as a result of written nominations that must be received at the OHHA office by Friday, February 27, 2009.

Please nominate to one category:

1) Grooms who work for a stable of 10 horses or less
2) Grooms who work for a stable of 11 horses or more

The awards will be presented to the caretakers who treat their horses with love and care, regardless of the horse or its performance. The nominee must be an excellent, hard-working and dependable person, who must be a current OHHA member and a full-time groom.

The William Wellwood Sportsmanship Awards will also be presented to individuals who meet the following criteria:

• an individual who has a friendly, cheerful and caring disposition
• someone that congratulates fellow participants on their success and is modest about his/her own
• somebody who demonstrates first-class sportsmanship, both on and off the track or in the barn
• must be a current OHHA member

There will also be Awards for outstanding service to the industry:

• consider nominating an OHHA member that you know that stands out from the crowd
• someone that continually goes the extra distance and whose actions benefit others
• a candidate does not have to be someone in the media spotlight, but perhaps someone behind the scenes that makes a difference

To nominate someone please write a short letter explaining why he or she is worthy of the award. Nominations must be received at the OHHA office by Friday, February 27, 2009.

Send your nominations to:

OHHA
P.O. Box 429
44 Crawford Crescent
Campbellville, Ontario
LOP1BO
Attention: Awards Committee

Submissions can also be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 905-854-6103.

If you would like to purchase tickets to the OHHA Awards Night, please call the OHHA office at 905-854-6442 or contact your local director. Tickets are $25 per person. Tables of 10 can be purchased for $200.