SC partnership on Groom Award to continue

Standardbred Canada (SC) is pleased to announce that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) will continue its partnership with SC on the Outstanding Groom Award for the 2021 O’Brien Awards.

This marks the sixth year of the partnership for this award, which was first presented at the 2015 O’Brien Awards Gala.

Standardbred Canada is now accepting submissions for the award and the deadline to nominate an Outstanding Groom is January 7, 2022.

Do you know a groom who has worked in the industry for over five years, puts their horses’ health and welfare first; treats their horses with kindness and outstanding care, regardless of the horse or its ability? The candidate should have a strong work ethic, be dependable, a good sportsman and be based in Canada. Candidates must be over the age of 19. If you know or work with someone with these qualities, consider nominating him / her for this award.

Grooms, often the unsung heroes of harness racing, are critical to the success of any horse in any stable. Their relationship with the horse is by far the closest. Grooms provide the daily care and attention to the equine athletes, keeping them physically and mentally healthy and sometimes working seven days a week to make sure their horses are properly cared for.

Deadline for submissions is January 7, 2022. Please click here for a nomination form.

Past winners of the Outstanding Groom Award include Cindy Acton (2015), Teesha Symes (2016), Chantel Gillis (2017), co-winners Scott Lecain and Trevor Forgie (2018), Rachel Dupuis (2019) and Brady Jackson (2020).

A selection committee will review the submissions and two finalists will be announced on January 13, 2022, and the presentation to the winner will be made at the O’Brien Awards Virtual Gala on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022.

Please email your submissions to: Kathy Wade Vlaar at kwvlaar@standardbredcanada.ca.

From Standardbred Canada