Standardbred Canada is seeking submissions for its 2015 Media Excellence Awards, to be presented at the O'Brien Awards ceremony on February 13, 2016.

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.

The deadline for all submissions is Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 5:00 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)

For more details on the criteria for the awards, click here.

To see a list of past winners of the Media Excellence Awards, click here.

You can check out last year’s winners here.

Outstanding Written Work

'Desperate Situations' is a feature that provides a snapshot of the human face on the Ontario slots crisis and takes a look into the lives of breeders Dr. Pat and Anna Meyers (Emerald Ridge Farm), former Woodbine Entertainment Group executive Bruce Murray, training centre owner Jason Libby and caretaker Bob Coole to see how the end of the Slots at Racetracks Program impacted their lives. The story was published in the October 2014 issue of Hoof Beats magazine and was written by Dave Briggs.

Outstanding Video, Film or Broadcast

WEG’s 2014 Pepsi North America Cup show was broadcast on TSN television network on Saturday, June 14 from 10:00 – 10:30 p.m. The show was produced by Robin Platts and directed by Kris Platts of WEG’s Broadcast Department. The special broadcast aired in high-definition and featured live race coverage of the Pepsi North America Cup for three-year-old pacing colts along with a feature on friends and partners, Bill Cass and John Craig.

Outstanding Photography

Clive Cohen’s photo was taken on October 2, 2014 on a very foggy night. Cohen, who won the Photography award in 2013, was standing in the infield shooting towards the grandstand. This shot is the 4th race as the field goes past the finish line (just as the starting car leaves the field) the first time.