Ballots were recently sent out to the directors of the U.S. Harness Writers Association, asking them to winnow down the chapter nominees by voting for their top choice or top two choices for the Proximity Award
. The two top vote getters will go on to the final ballot, to be decided, along with other USHWA Dan Patch awards, by the organization's general membership in late fall.
Roger Huston, dean of North American announcers and a Proximity finalist last year, garnered the most votes in this year’s prelim. But then there was a tie for second in the balloting, with the modern 'Mr. Harness Racing,' John Campbell, and New York’s State respected and productive Blue Chip Farms receiving the same amount of support. When the final Proximity candidate position results in a tie, USHWA precepts call for both nominees to be placed on the final ballot, and thus there will be a three-way runoff this year.
Huston, voice of the Meadows and the Little Brown Jug and an USHWA director, has a distinguished resume spanning a half-century in the sport, not only including just microphone work but also his 29-year uninterrupted run as the host of the Meadows Racing Network on television, several amateur driving titles, and inclusion in the Communicators Corner Hall of Fame as well as several regional Halls of Fame. His record of announcing over 160,000 races at 127 different tracks will likely never be equalled.
Campbell, one of the youngest people elected to the Living Hall of Fame, has been the measure against which great drivers have been measured since the 1980s. A winner of over $276 million in purses during his sulky career – over $80 million more than his nearest rival – Campbell added to his leading figures in the Breeders Crown championship series when guiding Bettor Sweet to victory in the Older Horse Pace last Saturday. Campbell gives time to charitable causes and always an intelligent and generous interviewee.
'Bred in New York to take on the World' is the motto of Blue Chip Farms, and that slogan was never more aptly demonstrated than at this past Saturday’s Breeders Crown, where Blue Chip stallion Bettors Delight was the only stud to receive two winners circle credits – with Betterthancheddar and Bettor Sweet. Also the breeders of the world’s richest pacer, Gallo Blue Chip ($4,260,959), Blue Chip also took an active role in bringing gaming complementary to racing to New York State.
The Proximity winner will be given the award at the Dan Patch Annual Awards Banquet, to be held February 12, 2012, at the DoubleTree Orlando (FL) Hilton Hotel at SeaWorld.
(USHWA)