"He always taught me to be patient with young horses and if they're any good they're going to pay you back. That's what I've learned and that's how I've tried to drive young horses."

Trot Insider caught up with Sylvain Filion after he was named Canada's Driver of the Year at the 2016 O'Brien Awards Black Tie Gala on Saturday, Jan. 28 in Mississauga, Ont.

Filion, a resident of Milton, Ont., won Canada’s Driver of the Year title in 2012, 2013 and 2015 before collecting his fourth bronze for the 2016 season. He drove 315 winners and led all Canadian drivers in the earnings column during a $7.8 million campaign, while joining the $100 million club for lifetime earnings. Filion was the regular driver for O’Brien champion, two-year-old pacing colt Beyond Delight as well as runner-up fillies Emoticon Hanover and Yaris Bayama.

To view the full list of 2016 O'Brien Awards winners, click here.