On Saturday, January 31st, at the O’Brien Awards gala, undefeated 2025 two-year-old superstar Beau Jangles was named winner of the Somebeachsomewhere Award as Canada’s Horse of the Year.
On Sunday February 22nd, at the Dan Patch Awards banquet, he became the first freshman colt of either gait to be named Horse of the Year in both Canada and the United States in the same season.
The winner of 12 races in 12 career starts, with earnings of $1,688,750, is obviously greatly appreciated in both countries, and regardless as to whether the horse is viewed as more Canadian or American, the timing couldn’t be better in regard to the two nations finding something they can agree on.
You’d have to be living under a pile of rocks not to know that thanks to tariffs imposed on Canada by the U.S. Federal Government, ‘51st State’ and ‘Elbows Up’ rhetoric, and a plethora of other issues, the longtime friends and allies, who share the longest undefended border in the world, haven’t been at greater odds with one another since the War of 1812.
The number of Canadians travelling to the U.S. has plummeted tremendously over the past year, many products, like American wine, have been removed from our store shelves, government leaders on both sides have attacked each other in the media and on social media, and reports of increased tension between individual citizens of both countries have increased.
What about in sports?
The Canadian/U.S. rivalry in women’s hockey has always been a bitter, but still somewhat respectful one. Last week, however, on NBC, I watched a number of the American players tell American actor and food connoisseur, Stanley Tucci, that they truly dislike their Canadian rivals.
The goaltenders of both men’s national hockey teams - Jordan Binnington of Canada and Connor Hellebuyck of the U.S. - have also admitted a true dislike for each other.
And in the 4 Nations Face-Off - in men’s hockey - which took place in February, 2025, Canadian and U.S. fans actually booed the national anthems of their adversary. Then, when the puck dropped between the two teams in the round-robin portion of the event, there were three fights in the first nine seconds of the game - something that very rarely takes place in International hockey.
Even in the recent Bronze Medal match for Women’s Curling in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, between Canada and the U.S., the fans from the two nations - although cordial to some degree - were still much more hostile towards each other than what would have been the case in the past.
So where does Beau Jangles fit into this?
That’s the point - he doesn’t.
Bred, sired, trained and driven by Canadians, and owned outright by Americans, Beau is truly a ‘dual citizen’ who lives in Florida from November through April, and in Ontario from May through October - and, as mentioned, he was recently named Horse of the Year in both countries.
It’s only fitting that this is the case too, because North American Standardbred racing, as many have said, really has no borders anyway. And, especially in this day-and-age, that’s something that I’m quite proud of.
Most American horsepeople are genuinely happy for their northern neighbours when we succeed in the biggest races, just as we are for them. I’ve seen it and have lived it for years - and it still exists today.
It’s also something that many Canadians and Americans outside of our business could learn from.
Our governments do what our governments have to do, but citizens actually booing each others’ anthems at the 4 Nations last February, to me, was an all-time low-point for the two countries who fought side-by-side in both World Wars, and many times since.
Maybe, to some degree, a dual citizen equine superstar like Beau Jangles could actually help bring some of that to an end outside of our industry as well?
In the hopes he can be one of the many small bridges needed to be built between the two countries, I wrote him his own little anthem. It’s written to the same tune as the famous song, Mr. Bojangles, by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and it goes like this…
I knew a horse Beau Jangles and he'd win for you,
In four steel shoes.
His trainer had silver hair, and baggy pants,
He was a vet, too.
He paced so fast - he paced so fast,
And then he'd leave them in his dust.
He said his name "Beau Jangles" and he paced a lick,
Across the wire.
He grabbed the bit and then he’d split, oh he’d almost fly,
And then he showed them his heels.
He let go a neigh - he let go a neigh,
Left jaws dropped all around.
Mr. Beau Jangles, Mr. Beau Jangles,
Mr. Beau Jangles, win.
He raced for those at harness shows not county fairs,
In the north and south.
They’d recall through tears throughout the year how his team and him,
Travelled about.
The team was so proud, they were so proud…
And for many years they’ll be… be…
Mr. Beau Jangles, Mr. Beau Jangles,
Mr. Beau Jangles, win.
P.S. We’re still better at hockey though.
Dan Fisher
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