The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) announces that Jan Heine and Nancy Brejc have been selected for the 2021 President's Award.
“Greyhound is one of the most recognized horse names throughout the equine and harness racing industry, and what these ladies did by saving a piece of history must not be forgotten,” said USHWA President Kim Rinker. “Jan and Nancy painstakingly took apart the Grey Ghost’s stall and brought it to the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame so that visitors from around the world could witness the home of one of harness racing’s most beloved horses.”
Heine and Brejc, longtime friends and former harness racing caretakers, disassembled Greyhound’s stall at the former Flannery Farm in Maple Park, Ill. upon learning that the stables were to be leveled. They worked non-stop for 11 days, removing each board piece by piece, numbered them, loaded them up and took them 800 miles to Goshen, where the Museum staff then reassembled the 15-feet-by-30-feet stall where Greyhound spent the last 25 years of his life.
“Though it has been seven years since these ladies donated the stall to the museum, I felt it was time they were properly recognized for their efforts,” Rinker said. “If you haven’t seen the spectacular display at the Museum, it’s time for you to take a trip to Goshen. It’s one of the Museum’s most impressive exhibits and is a testament to the tenacity of these two women who stepped up and grabbed a piece of harness racing history for future generations of the sport to enjoy.”
Heine and Brejc will be honoured at the Dan Patch Awards Banquet on Feb. 20, 2022, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla. along with the rest of this year’s equine divisional award winners and human winners.
(USHWA)