USHWA honors DeVan with Lifetime Achievement Award

Goshen, NY – Fourth generation harness racing family member, Lawrence S. DeVan looks fondly upon the outstanding individuals that he has met in his lifetime spent around Standardbreds.

“It’s not where I have been, or what I have done,” DeVan stated while receiving the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) Lifetime Achievement Award. “The take-away is the many incredible people in the harness racing community that I have come to know along the way.”

DeVan, who hails from the family of Hanover Shoe Farms founding father Lawrence Sheppard, offered his gratitude to a packed house when the Monticello-Goshen Chapter held its 64^th annual banquet on Sunday (Dec. 10) in the Catskill Mountains.

“While I consider myself extra fortunate to have met so many great people, I am especially thankful to the Monticello-Goshen Chapter for the thousands of dollars that the writers raise annually for the Harness Racing Museum and Goshen Historic Track,” DeVan exclaimed. “Their efforts are unparalleled in our sport!”

As the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame’s past president and current chairman of the executive committee, DeVan knows first-hand how benevolence and industry support helps maintain the iconic Goshen landmark and further enhance its prominence as a world class facility.

The chapter also honored Ron Ochrym with the Excelsior Award for his dedication and contributions to harness racing in New York State. The former executive director of the NYS Racing and Wagering Board, as well as a few stints as acting director of the Ag. Fund which administers the New York Sire Stakes, Ochrym has worked tirelessly to ensure that the harness racing product and breeders program in the Empire State is one of the best in the nation.

In his remarks Ochrym outlined the strength of the harness racing industry in New York, stating that, “this year we will have over 65,000 starters in 8,700 races at our seven pari-mutuel tracks.” That number is triple the amount of N.Y. Thoroughbred participants, our counterparts that compete in the NYRA and Finger Lakes circuits.

Tom Cunningham, one of the best-known insurance agents in the industry, received the chapter’s John Gilmour Good Guy Award. Flanked by his four daughters when receiving the award, he noted, “Monticello has always been good to me. It’s great to see that the local horse people are still a hearty bunch.”

Team Messenger made several trips to the podium over the course of the lively evening, accepting several horse awards, including their second Trotter of the Year award for Chip Chip Conway. Owned and bred Gary Messenger and Ken Weckstein, the pair also received the chapter’s Cradle of the Trotter Breeders Award for their success in the New York Excelsior series this season.

Edison Hatter, harness racing announcer, analyst, and TV personality received the chapter’s Phil Pines Award for his contributions to the media and publicity. In just a few short years, Hatter has ascended to several key positions in the industry, and his handicapping skills have earned him a reputation as a savvy horse player, as well as a polished commentator.

Aside from hosting nationally prominent honorees, the awards banquet still maintains its ‘Borscht Belt’ roots.  Since 1959 the Monticello-Goshen chapter has been rewarding the local horsemen and women that compete at the ‘Mighty M,’ as well as the hard-working staff and management that keep the races rolling.

A memorable part of the festivities the rousing applause and standing ovation received by Rising Star award winner Adam Moeykens. A talented reinsman from Honesdale, Pennsylvania, the fifth-generation horseman was surrounded by his large family. It was evident to all in attendance that Moeykens is admired on the backstretch, the 20-year-old was clearly moved by the experience and the accolades. In accepting his award, he noted that he was “grateful for all the support that he has received from the Monticello trainers and owners.”

The Mighty M Award of Appreciation was bestowed upon Mike Druss for his yeoman’s efforts in compiling and posting historic and dynamic images on the Monticello Raceway Memorabilia Facebook page.

Andrew Adamczyk was the trainer for the 2023 Monticello Raceway Horse of the Year Daamericansky.  Matt Zuccarello was this year’s Amateur Driver of the Year, Kim Houghtaling received Caretaker of the Year honors, and Lisa Davidowich was the chapter’s Fan of the Year. These folks received their awards along with their peers for the forty-plus divisional equine honors bestowed upon the hard-working trainers and caretakers that call the Sullivan County oval home.

With revenue from their loyal advertisers in the 68-page souvenir journal, the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of USHWA is able to raise enough funds to donate thousands of dollars every year to the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, as well as Goshen Historic Track. These two distinct, separate entities share the same hallowed ground and a singleness of purpose to preserve, protect and promote harness racing.

The practice of raising money and donating funds to Historic Track and the Hall of Fame began in the mid-1970s with Monticello Raceway publicity icon John Manzi and has continued ever since. In just the last 25 years, the local Monticello-Goshen chapter has donated well over $160,000 to these important industry preservationists.

by Chris Tully, for the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of USHWA