Big Ranger named 2025 Ohio Horse of the Year

Grove City, Ohio – Big Ranger (In Range), Ohio’s 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year, has been named the 2025 Ohio Horse of the Year. 

Bred by Spring Haven Farm and owned by Madison Global, Big Ranger was the lone horse to claim the Ohio Triple Crown in 2025, winning the Ohio State Fair Stakes, Ohio Breeders Championship, and Ohio Sires Stakes Scarlet Championship. 

Trained and driven by Ronnie Gillespie, the son of In Range out of Big Blue Bird closed the year having won all seven of his starts. In addition to the Triple Crown races, he also posted victories in the Next Generation and three legs of the Ohio Sires Stakes en route to $370,610 in earnings. His season-best mark of 1:53.4 came in the OSS Scarlet Championship at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway on Sept. 27. 

From Wes Mayberry for the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association