The 174th Erin Fair was the backdrop for this year’s Erin Agricultural Society Horse Heritage Awards. The 2024 Horse Heritage Awards Hall of Fame included two inductees and a nod to the Standardbred horse.
The Lifetime Achievement award was presented to the McLean family and the Industry Development award went to Earl Lennox. Both recipients worked with Standardbred horses and were builders in the equine sector.
The Equine Tent was filled with family and friends attending the presentation, with special words of recognition being delivered to the McLean family by Eileen Brown, and by Brenda Lothmann to her father, Earl Lennox (pictured above).
The McLean family’s extensive involvement with horses included Standardbred roadsters, commercial horses, hackneys and heavy horses, and has spanned over five generations. The family was inducted into the Canadian Road Horse Association Hall of Fame in 2014. Today, brothers Steve and Scott McLean and sister Sherri Archdekin compete at the Royal Winter Fair — as they have since 1977 — and at local fairs.
The McLeans' beautifully restored 1920's antique carriage, still used for competition, was on display at the Erin Fair Equine Tent, along with photos and racing jackets.
Earl Lennox has a long and interesting history with the Standardbred horse as a breeder, race announcer and judge. His career began at the age of seven when he visited the Barrie Fair afternoon races. Lennox bought his first horse in 1964 and became a notable breeder of many successful Standardbreds. Lennox has been recognized by both the Ontario Harness Horse Association and the Canadian Standardbred Horse Society. Brian Tropea, General Manager of the Ontario Harness Horse Association, spoke about Lennox's extensive accomplishments at the October Erin Fair award ceremony.
The EAS Horses Heritage Committee also produced a limited edition 2025 calendar to support next year’s 175th Anniversary of the Erin Fair. Calendars are available at Sharpe’s in Erin. The next EAS Horse Heritage event will be the 2025 Movie Night at Erin Centre 2000 Theatre on March 26, 2025.
In 2018, the Erin Agricultural Society established the Horse Heritage Hall of Fame. Its purpose is to celebrate Erin’s rich equine history and to recognize leaders within Erin’s horse community. Since the early 1800's, horses have played a vital role in Erin, and they continue to contribute in a meaningful way to the local equine economic sector, recreation and country lifestyle. The Hall of Fame Awards is now an annual event, with winners being announced at the Erin Fair.
(Erin Agricultural Society)