Bernie White has been selected by Harness Horse Breeders of New York State as the sixth annual recipient of the Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal.
This award recognizes outstanding contributions to harness horse racing and improvements in the breeding of Standardbred horses in the State of New York.
White has served on the Goshen Historic Track Board of Directors for 18 years, 13 of those as President, helping to guide the track to its current status as a desired racehorse training facility and the center of many community events.
Goshen Historic Track is the oldest continuously active harness track in North America and has held a Grand Circuit meet since 1911. Each year it also hosts New York Sire Stakes program events surrounding the July Fourth holiday and charted matinee events in June. Despite its age, White has helped to maintain the historic facility as a top-notch racing and training venue without the aid of pari-mutuel betting or other typical revenue-generators.
Instead, White has worked tirelessly on behalf of the track with state and local elected officials to garner financial support for necessary improvements to the grounds of this National Historic Landmark. His efforts with Sen. William Larkin and then-Governor George Pataki earned a state grant that paved the way for a brand new, modern barn on the backstretch. This expanded the number of horses that could be trained at the facility and enhanced its financial standing.
Other improvements to the grounds under White’s leadership included upgrading of the track surface and banking of the turns, extensive renovations to several barns on the grandstand side of the track, greater handicapped accessibility for the public, and continual refurbishing of the more than 100-year-old grandstand.
A retired high school principal, White served three decades in education. He also was involved in the building trade, helping to construct a large number of the barns that began to pop up in the early 1970s as the Standardbred industry grew locally with the opening of new breeding and boarding farms. In fact, he first became involved in racing as partners to Jack Adams, the manager of nearby Pine Hollow Stud.
Today White owns his own farm, Tamarack Manor, and continues to both race and breed harness horses. This provides him first-hand knowledge into the needs of the horsemen who frequent Historic Track and the trials of breeders aiming for the exclusive New York Sire Stakes program.
For his work to protect and enhance New York’s treasure of Goshen Historic Track and ensure its existence for the next generation of fans and horsemen, Harness Horse Breeders honors White with its highest award.
The Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal is given to an individual who bests exhibits Hamilton’s exemplary qualities of character and accomplishment in the harness racing industry. Hamilton served as the Executive
Secretary of Harness Horse Breeders of New York State for 18 years. During that time he managed the New York Sire Stakes program masterfully and was able to unite the racing and breeding industries to successfully lobby for VLTs at tracks.
The Bruce Hamilton Memorial Medal will be presented to White at the New York Sire Stakes/USTA District 8 awards dinner on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at the Vernon Downs hotel. For reservations or more
information, contact Harness Horse Breeders at 518-785-5858 or [email protected].