The United States Harness Writers Association has announced that Joe Faraldo, president of the Standardbred Owners Association of New York and North American Amateur Drivers Association, has been chosen to receive the 2008 USHWA President's Award.
This honour was bestowed on Faraldo by USHWA president Debbie Little.
“Joe Faraldo's dedication to this sport is unmatched,” said Little. “Hosting this year's Amateur World Cup was an immense undertaking and he should be recognized for the great job he did. Not to mention the tireless work he does on behalf of the horsemen he represents.”
Faraldo was introduced to harness racing as a driver, but a sulky was not involved.
In the late 1960s, the native of Brooklyn, New York drove his uncle Rocco to Yonkers and Roosevelt to watch his horses race.
While attending St. John’s Law School, Faraldo became a standardbred owner.
As a lawyer, he was a natural choice to head the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, a position he has held for more than 25 years.
In 1980, Goshen presiding judge Vince Bergamo invited Faraldo to compete in an amateur race and although he had never been in a sulky, he listened to Bergamo and won his first race.
He went on to become a founding member of the CKG Billings and several years later formed the North American Amateur Drivers Association.
He made contacts with European Amateur clubs and fostered relations that led to international driving competitions.
In 1988, Faraldo brought the Amateur World Cup to the U.S. for the first time and 20 years later chose to host it again.
The attention to detail necessary to accomplish an event of this magnitude was right in Faraldo’s wheelhouse.
Hotels, credentials, food, transportation, etc., Faraldo did it all and put together a fabulous competition that came down to the final race to decide.
As a lawyer, Faraldo took horsemen's rights to another dimension in 1979, when he became the only attorney to ever argue a harness horsemen's case before the United States Supreme Court and win in a landmark decision.
He is a 20-year member of the board of directors of the USTA and former chairman of the board and he can always be counted on to help with the USTA Driving School.
He is also a two-time Billings champion and was chosen the 1997 National Amateur Driver of the Year. He even had a race named for him during 2008 in Prague, in the Czech Republic.
“It is an honour for me to recognize someone who has done so much good for this sport,” said Little.
Joe Faraldo will receive his President’s Award at the Night of Stars awards banquet on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.
(USHWA)