Standardbred Canada is seeking submissions for its 2014 Media Excellence Awards, to be handed out at the O'Brien Awards ceremony on February 7, 2015.

There are three awards:

• Outstanding Written Work,
• Outstanding Video, Film or Broadcast, and
• Outstanding Photograph

The program is aimed at honouring those who have, through one piece of exceptional work, covered Canadian harness racing in a manner that is extraordinary and of broad national appeal.

For further information and for criteria, click here.

The deadline for all submissions is Monday, December 1, 2014 at 5 p.m. All submissions and inquiries should be directed to:

Kathy Wade Vlaar
Industry Marketing
Standardbred Canada
2150 Meadowvale Blvd.
Mississauga, ON
L5N 6R6
[email protected]
905-858-3077 (Ext. 207)

A recap of last year’s winners appears below.

Outstanding Written Work

Paul Delean

’Reaching Improbable Heights’

'Reaching Improbable Heights', written by Paul Delean, was published in the December, 2012 issue of Trot Magazine. It tells the story of trotter Intimidate’s incredible journey from obscurity to harness racing’s biggest stage and the ride of a lifetime that two smalltime owners from Quebec are still pinching themselves over.

Outstanding Broadcast

Woodbine Entertainment Group

North America Cup HD Broadcast

Woodbine Entertainment Group’s North America Cup broadcast aired across Canada on The Score television network on Saturday, June 26, 2013. The one-hour special of the $1-million North America Cup was the first live high definition broadcast of a standardbred race in Canada. The show featured live race coverage of the main event, a feature on Marvin Katz (co-owner of eventual winner Captaintreacherous) and a profile of a very special racing fan – Sydney Weaver. The broadcast was a production of WEG’s broadcast department, produced by Rob Platts and directed by Kris Platts.

Outstanding Photography

Clive Cohen

Clive Cohen captured the sunset behind trainer Rene Dion warming up Ocean Mist Beauty on September 19, 2013 at Mohawk Racetrack. The image was published on WEG’s Facebook page later that night.