The Prince County Horsemen's Club (PCHC) hosted its annual awards banquet for the 2025 racing season with a sold-out crowd on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at the Summerside Credit Union Place. The PCHC honoured the season's top equine athletes, horsemen and horsewomen.
This year, the banquet committee initiated a new proposal for the top driving and training titles to honour Island horsepeople who are not only achieving their goals but are also great ambassadors for the harness racing industry. The PCHC announced the top driving and training titles will be named in honour of James MacDonald and Dr. Ian Moore, respectively. Those awards were presented to Summerside Raceway's 2025 leading driver Corey MacPherson, who won 58 races, and top trainer Earl Watts, who earned 24 victories.
The presentation of the 2025 James MacDonald Top Driver Award by MacDonald's mother Gail (left), with Julia Clow (right) accepting on behalf of winner Corey MacPherson.
Earl Watts (right) accepting the 2025 Dr. Ian Moore Top Trainer Award from PCHC director Deanna Clow (left).
The Watts-trained undefeated two-year-old pacing filly Windemere Skye was named the PCHC's 2025 Horse of the Year. The Somewhere Fancy-Howmac Missy filly completed her perfect 12-race season winning the Maritime Breeders Stakes title. Just prior to that championship, she won the Atlantic Breeders Crown at Charlottetown Driving Park while equalling the 1:53.3 Canadian record. Overall, she amassed $124,975 in purses for breeder Windemere Farms of Springvale, P.E.I., and co-owner Matt Burke of Stratford, P.E.I. One of the top rookie fillies in the nation, Windemere Skye was voted an O'Brien Award finalist in her division.
The awards presented at the PCHC banquet are listed below.
HORSE AWARDS
Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt – Hoponarocket
Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly – Dusty Lane Margo
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt – Zero Two Sixty
Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly – Windemere Skye
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt – Fire The Rocket
Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly – Supreme Rockette, Oceanview Nikki (tie)
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt – Malevolent
Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly – Elm Grove Talia
Claimer of the Year – One Rock
Breeders Crown Champion – Two-Year-Old Colt of the Year – Sporty Anthony
Fan Favourite – Miki Shan N
Aged Pacing Mare of the Year – Brokeandoutofgas
Aged Pacing Horse of the Year – Brookdale Johnny
Trotter of the Year – Fight Song
Horse of the Year – Windemere Skye
Bob MacInnis/Blu Meadow Willie 14-Year-Old Retirement Award – Well Did, Rusty Riley, Pictonian Storm, Hemingway
PEOPLE AWARDS
Dr. Ian Moore Top Trainer Award (50+ Starts) – Earl Watts
Top Trainer Average (50+ Starts) – Tammy Collings
Top Trainer Wins (25-49 Starts) – Chris MacKay
Top Trainer Average (25-49 Starts) – Dwane MacEachern
James MacDonald Top Driver Award (100+ Starts) – Corey MacPherson
Top Driver (50-99 Starts) – Norris Rogers
Rookie of the Year – Zac Noye
Female Groom of the Year – Carrlee Paynter
Male Groom of the Year – Vance MacMillan
PCHC Sponsor Appreciation Award – Woodmere Farms
Breeder of the Year – Timberlea Standardbreds
Owner of the Year – Windemere Farms
Sportsmanship Award – Barney McGuigan
Joe O’Brien Award – Deanna Clow
Lifetime Achievement Award – Garth Cole
PCHC Horsewoman of the Year – Judy Sizer
Kent Oakes Memorial Award – The Cole Family
(With files from Prince County Horsemen's Club; headline photo of the connections of the 2025 PCHC Horse of the Year, Windemere Skye, from left to right: Kyle Williams, Earl Watts, sponsors from the Ultimate Stables, Sifroi Melanson and Dawn Hubbard, Matt Burke, David Burke, Lois Blaisdell and Marlene Watts.)