San Pail, Kaplan Win National Awards

San Pail, Canada’s Horse of the Year for 2011, and Trot Magazine editor Darryl Kaplan were honoured for their 2011 accomplishments, and presented with

national awards from Equine Canada Friday evening.

The awards gala took place at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland in St. John’s as part of the Equine Canada Annual Convention. The evening was dedicated to acknowledging Canadian equestrian accomplishments of 2011 and thanking those who make it all happen.

The accolades keep rolling in for superstar trotter San Pail. Less than a week after his connections took home O’Brien Award honours as Canada’s Horse of the Year and Older Trotting Horse of the Year, he was honoured this evening by Equine Canada as Canadian Bred Horse of the Year.

This was one of two new awards that Equine Canada added to its awards program this year. The Canadian Bred Horse of the Year award is presented to the breeder of a horse who by virtue of an outstanding national or international performance or competition record has enhanced the reputation and visibility of Canadian-bred horses. To be eligible, a horse must be foaled in Canada and be registered with any of the breed associations that are a member of Equine Canada, including those whose registry is not maintained in Canada.

On hand to accept the hardware in Newfoundland were owner-breeder Glenn Van Camp and his wife Donna Van Camp.

Canadian-bred, owned and driven, the majority of San Pail’s racing was on Canadian soil. The son of San Pellegrino out of the Balanced Image mare Village Beauty dominated Canadian harness racing last season, topping the charts for older trotting horses in North America with over $1.2 million in earnings and 14 wins in 16 races, highlighted by victories in every stakes event he competed in. He scored 11 of his wins and earned $934,920 in Canada, between Mohawk and Woodbine racetracks.

His stakes wins included the elimination and final of the Glorys Comet, Maple Leaf Trot, Nat Ray, Credit Winner, and Allerage Farm Trot. His final moment of glory for 2011 came in the $602,340 Breeders Crown Open Trot at Woodbine on October 29. In this season-ending championship, he took on a world class field, which included two European trotting stars, and trotted to an exciting and hard fought 1:51.4 neck victory.

“We would like to thank Equine Canada for this award honouring San Pail,” said breeder Glenn Van Camp. “He has won so many important awards, and they are all very special to us.”

“We just love San Pail and Canadian harness racing,” added Donna Van Camp.

Trot Magazine editor Darryl Kaplan was honoured with the Media Award and presented with the Susan Jane Anstey Trophy.

The award is presented to an exceptional individual who has delivered outstanding media coverage that served to enhance the image of Canadian equine interests to the Canadian public. This award promises to become one of Equine Canada’s most prestigious awards and will mirror the same class and dignity that Susan Jane Antsey, a valiant champion of Canada's development in international sport, brought to the equine industry and those she knew and loved.

Kaplan has been working for Trot, the official magazine of Standardbred Canada, for eight years, five of which in the position of editor-in-chief. With Kaplan at the helm, Trot became the first Canadian magazine to be named North America’s Best Overall Publication by American Horse Publications in 2011, beating out 117 other magazines to receive this honour. Kaplan has won a Sovereign Award for Best Thoroughbred Racing Feature Story, a World Trotting Conference Award for Best International Horse Racing Feature, and an American Horse Publication Service to the Reader Award.

While the merit of his previous industry recognition of his outstanding media coverage is reason enough to honour him with the Equine Canada Media Award, Kaplan had more to prove when it comes to expanding the audience of his sport. Early in 2011, Kaplan saw a new opportunity to introduce the standardbred racing to the mainstream public. Rogers Communications chose to broaden the brand of its specialty channel Sportsnet and created Canada’s first national sports magazine, Sportsnet Magazine. Kaplan approached the editors with the story of Roger Hamm, a life-long horseman whose heart stopped beating during a race, and the story around it. Impressed with the pitch and subsequent writing, Kaplan wrote a feature in Sportsnet Magazine’s October 31 issue, "Win or Die Trying.”

"It is an honour to receive the Equine Canada Media Award," said Kaplan. “The opportunity to tell the stories of Canada's horses, and the horsepeople who dedicate their lives to them, is something I am very thankful for. Seeing San Pail and Hickstead, two of the greatest horses ever to compete for Canada, honoured on the same night I received the award, was really quite special.

"I am thankful to Equine Canada, Standardbred Canada, and to our excellent team at Trot Magazine for their continued commitment to producing a superior product that the standardbred horse industry can be proud of," he added.

Other awards presented at the Gala included: Breeder of the Year, Equestrian of the Year (The Doctor George Jacobsen Trophy), Horse of the Year (The Hickstead Award), Junior Equestrian of the Year (The Gillian Wilson Trophy), Volunteer of the Year (presented by BFL Canada), and Just Add Horses Environmental Award.

These national awards are intended to recognize individuals who have made a significant impact in the Canadian equestrian industry.

Standardbred Canada extends our sincere congratulations to all of the connections of San Pail and to Darryl Kaplan.

(With files from Equine Canada)