The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association has awarded the late Robert and Paulann Sidley the association’s prestigious Maynard and Stella Hagemeyer Significant Contribution Award.
The Sidleys were pillars of Ohio's Standardbred industry. Robert is a member of both the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame and the Northfield Park Wall of Fame. He served on the United States Trotting Association Board of Directors, where he was the organization’s treasurer from 1993 to 2008, and is a past president of both Harness Horsemen International and the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association.
The Sidleys owned R.W. Sidley Inc., a construction supply firm founded by Robert’s father, Robert W. Sidley, as a mining and manufacturing company in 1933. The couple bred or raced more than 1,000 horses. They took great pride in the harness racing program at their home fair, the Lake County Fair located in Painesville, Ohio. Their first-class hospitality of the harness racing participants made the fair a must-race event for numerous horsemen for decades.
The Maynard and Stella Hagemeyer Significant Contribution Award is awarded for significant life-long contributions to Ohio harness racing. The recipient must possess a passion and advocacy for Ohio harness racing. The award is based on the importance of educating and involving local and state legislators in the importance of the harness racing industry.
The Sidleys will be honoured at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Mariott Columbus OSU in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets to the banquet are $30 each and can be purchased by calling the association's office at 614-221-3650.
(Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)