Bud Teeters to receive the Rambling Willie award

Longtime driver, trainer, and racing official Lester “Bud” Teeters will be honored for his years of dedicated service to the sport as the recipient of the Rambling Willie Award, presented by the Ohio Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association. 

In 1999, Bud hung up his driving colors and transitioned to the judges’ stand, beginning as an associate before being appointed presiding judge at MGM Northfield Park in 2005—a role he would hold for the next 20 years. Over those two decades, Teeters earned a reputation for fairness, a peaceful demeanor, and a soft‑spoken approach in his dealings with both horsemen and patrons. Former Northfield Park executive Tom Aldrich, who first hired Bud as an associate and later worked beside him in the stand, often marveled at his ability to navigate tense situations during horsemen’s hearings, field calls from disgruntled gamblers, and maintain unwavering composure throughout. Amy Hollar, the Track Rep, who sat in on many of those hearings, appreciated not only his professionalism but also the many “off‑the‑record” conversations they shared—not just as representative and judge, but as two people whose lives were deeply rooted in the horse. 

A typical cold winter night at Northfield Park in the 90s, before Lester “Bud” Teeters became the presiding judge he was sitting in the back room of the ship-in barn waiting on his next horse to hit the track.  A mouthy woman came in and sat across from him and proceeded to tell him how he did a good job driving her husband’s horse a few nights before.  Bud just smiled and thanked her, not asking any questions.  A few minutes later her husband comes in and realizes she is making a fool of herself because Amy Hollar thought she was talking to driver Robin Miller.  In typical Bud fashion he didn’t correct her and just let her ramble. Always calm, always cool, always professional. 

Currently enjoying retirement with his wife Denise and son Tad in Canton, Lester “Bud” Teeters is this year’s very deserving Rambling Willie Award winner. 

By Jay Wolf