"My horse came back from North Carolina at Olive Branch Farms and he looks phenomenal and stunning, so I'm looking for a big, big year for Shamballa this year and let's hope that we can get back here to the awards and win Older Horse of the Year next year."

Trot Insider caught up with trainer/driver Rick Zeron for his reaction on winning the O'Brien Award of Horsemanship for the second time in his career as well as updates on his stable stars, including Canada's Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year Mass Production and Older Pacing Horse runner-up Shamballa, at the Black Tie Gala on Saturday, Jan. 28 in Mississauga, Ont.

Zeron drove 116 winners and horses to $2.58 million in purse earnings, while training 49 winners and horses to $1.66 million in earnings in 2016. The Oakville, Ont. horseman campaigned the champion Muscle Mass colt Mass Production, who won five of nine races and more than $285,000 during his rookie year. His victories included four Ontario Sires Stakes events highlighted by a season’s best 1:54.4 stakes record effort in the Super Final.

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