Debbie Little, the president of the New York City chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) and a columnist for Harness Racing Update, has been named USHWA’s Member of the Year by a committee of former winners of the award.
Little has been an USHWA director for more than two decades and was a national officer for 10 years, including two years as president. She serves on multiple committees for the organization, most notably for the annual Dan Patch Awards banquet and as co-chair of the Clyde Hirt Journalism Workshop.
“I am pleased the committee chose Debbie,” said Barry Lefkowitz, USHWA President. “She has done a great job, particularly with the Clyde Hirt Workshop and the Dan Patch Awards banquet, and I’m glad she is being recognized for her hard work.”
Little assists with the planning of the Dan Patch Awards banquet and is responsible for organizing the live production of the awards show as well as preparing the event’s scripts.
As a longtime advisor with the annual four-day Clyde Hirt Journalism Workshop, she has overseen nearly every logistical aspect of the program, which introduces college students to harness racing by giving aspiring media members the opportunity to cover the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands. This includes arranging student assignments with media outlets, setting up mentoring with editors and other industry professionals, and coordinating travel and meals.
In addition to those responsibilities, Little also coordinates production of the artwork of honourees displayed in the Communicators Hall of Fame, not to mention helping at the races every year at Goshen Historic Track in New York and the Orleans County Fair in Vermont. Little’s husband, Dave, is the announcer at both venues.
Born Deborah Ann DeBiase, she was introduced to harness racing at an early age when she and her father would watch New York City Off-Track Betting’s “Racing from Yonkers” show. The Yonkers native saw her first harness race – not surprisingly – at Yonkers Raceway, when her parents took her to the Westchester County Fair.
Her first job in the industry was in the Publicity Department at Yonkers in 1987, sending out entries and results. She would later do the same job at The Meadowlands. In 1993, Little was hired as a handicapper, harness writer and racing clerk at the New York Post, where she spent almost 27 years.
She currently writes a weekly column for Harness Racing Update called “Meadowlands Matters,” which deals with the happenings at the New Jersey oval. She is also a regular contributor to TROT Magazine and the Standardbred Journal. This past January, Little was named the winner of the 2020/2021 John Hervey Award for feature writing for her story, “The Legend of Walter Case Jr.,” which appeared in TROT.
Little will be honoured as USHWA’s Member of the Year at the Dan Patch Awards sponsored by Caesars Entertainment on Feb. 19, 2023, at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida.
(USHWA)