The champions of Alberta Harness racing were celebrated and honoured as the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) held its annual awards banquet earlier this evening at the Northlands Park Paddock Theatre in Edmonton, Alta.
It comes as no surprise that Travis Cullen was the biggest winner of the evening. Cullen, 22, was named Alberta’s Horseperson of the Year, Trainer and Driver of the Year. His stable star Who Doesnt was named Horse of the Year, Champion Aged Horse and Fastest Boy. In addition, Cullen's Feelin Flush took home armour for Champion Aged Mare, Raging Fingers for Claimer over $10,000 Colts and Geldings, Overnight Success for Claimer under $10,000 Fillies and Mares, and both Emmasphere and Feelin Flush tied for Fastest Girl.
The Kelly Hoerdt Stable also had a big night with stable star Cool Cowboy taking home both Champion Two-Year-Old Alberta-Sired Stakes Colt and Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. True Rock won Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and Outlaw Gunpowder won Champion Three-Year-Old Colt while Hilldrop Shady took home Claimer under $10,000 Colts and Geldings. Hoerdt and longtime owner Blair Corbeil were also named Owners of the Year.
"We were very pleased and honoured to have once again the Royal Canadian Mountain Police on hand wearing their Red Serge Uniforms helping with the presentations," said ASHA Project Coordinator Orianna Scheck. "The evening was wonderful and a great way to start 2015 for Alberta's horsemen."
Here is a list of the 2014 ASHA Award winners:
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD ALBERTA-STAKES FILLY
My Villas On Fire
Owners: Diane Bertrand -Robert Gilhespy
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY
True Rock
Owners: Blair & Erna Corbeil –Kelly Hoerdt
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD ALBERTA-STAKES COLT/GELDING
Cool Cowboy
Owners: Kelly Hoerdt-Blair Corbeil-Witend Consulting
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT/GELDING
Cool Cowboy
Owners: Kelly Hoerdt-Blair Corbeil-Witend Consulting
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD ALBERTA-STAKES FILLY
Nighttraintovegas
Owners: Dick Schneider-David Halmosi
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY
Rummys Command
Owners: Keith Clark-Robert Jones
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD ALBERTA-STAKES COLT/GELDING
Blue Eyed Cowboy
Owner: Rodney Starkewski
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT/GELDING
Outlaw Gunpowder
Owners: Kelly Hoerdt-Blair Corbeil
CHAMPION AGED MARE
Feelin Flush
Owners: Travis Cullen-Ken Hanson
CHAMPION AGED HORSE/HORSE OF THE YEAR
Who Doesnt
Owners: Travis Cullen-Jeanne Cullen-Kenneth Cullen-Jodie Cullen
CLAIMER $10,000 AND OVER COTLS/GELDINGS
Raging Fingers
Owners: Travis Cullen-Keith Hannah
CLAIMER UNDER $10,000 FILLIES/MARES
Overnight Success
Owner: Dwayne Taylor
CLAIMER UNDER $10,000 COLTS/GELDING
Hilldrop Shady
Owners: Kelly Hoerdt-Blair Corbeil-Dale Fellows
FASTEST GIRL
Emmasphere - 1:52.4
Owner: Trevor Williams
Feelin Flush – 1:52.4
Onwers: Travis Cullen-Ken Hanson
FASTEST BOY
Who Doesnt– 1:50.4
Owners: Travis Cullen-Jeanne Cullen-Kenneth Cullen-Jodie Cullen
GROOM OF THE YEAR
Amy Henry
TRAINER UNDER 200 STARTS
Marjorie Dumont
TRAINER OF THE YEAR
Travis Cullen
DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Travis Cullen
OWNER OF THE YEAR
Kelly Hoerdt-Blair Corbeil
BREEDER OF THE YEAR
Meridian Farms-Bill Andrew
HORSEPERSON OF THE YEAR
Travis Cullen