Following successful Canadian representation in Italy the week of July 19 where Sherwin Edwards emerged the winner of the international amateur drivers competition, Edwards has been invited to represent Canada abroad again in the World Cup of Amateur Drivers next January
by Fredy Moder, Secretary of the Fédération Européenne des Gentlemen Amateurs et Cavalières du Trot (FEGAT). The event will be hosted by the New Zealand's amateur racing association.
Edwards finished atop the Canadian participant leader board in the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series in 2009 and 2010, as well as the above mentioned international competition.
The World Cup of Amateur Drivers is held every two years at a different location and with much dismay, Canada has failed to be represented during the past two events. Being a world class organization in the harness racing world, Canadian participation at this type of event is essential in the opinion of FEGAT.
In January 2012, the World Cup of Amateur Drivers will be staged in New Zealand for the first time. The eight-race series will commence in New Zealand’s largest city of Auckland before moving to the South Island to conclude the series in the strong harness racing heartland of Canterbury.
Edwards has stated that he is thrilled at the opportunity to represent his country on the world stage and will do whatever possible to make this invitation become a reality.
The key issue will be funding this type venture and seeing that at this point in time there is no Canadian amateur racing association, Edwards has also made the creation and development of the Canadian Amateur Standardbred Drivers Association a priority. He is presently working on making this project a reality.
Edwards has made a decision to start fundraising and is committing the 5 per cent drivers commission that will be earned when he drives his own horses in overnights, starting this Saturday, August 6 when he sits behind Crash Course at Flamboro Downs, and any other commissions to a special fund directed at attending the event in January.