HHI annual meetings set for February

Harness Horsemen International (HHI) will hold their annual meetings from February 24-27, 2020 at the Embassy Suites Resort & Spa, Deerfield, Beach, Florida, beginning with an opening reception and meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday evening, Feb. 24.

HHI meetings begin Tuesday morning, Feb. 25 at 9:00 am and continue through Thursday, Feb. 27 followed by HHI Elections and the HHI Awards Luncheon, honoring Tony Somone as the Dominic Frinzi Person of the Year; Dot Morgan with the HHI Appreciation Award; and Dawnelle Mock with the HHI's Clyde Hirt Media Award.

Tony Somone is the Executive Director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association, a position he has held since 2007. The Chicago native graduated from George Williams College and began working in the publicity department at Maywood Park in 1985, pursing his passion for harness racing. Somone began purchasing horses with partners in the late 1990s and in 2000, applied for and received, his fair license.

He won his first race as a driver on Aug. 21, 2014 behind his own horse, Sleazy Mr E at the Cumberland County Fair in Greenup, IL in his 16th official start. But the Willow Springs, IL resident is best known for representing the IHHA legislatively throughout the state of Illinois. Somone definitely does not shy away from diversity and has been a rock for the Standardbred horsemen who have struggled in the Prairie State for so many years.

Dot Morgan is the Executive Director & Facility Manager for New Vocations Racehorse Adoption, located in Laura, OH. Morgan founded New Vocations in 1992 after seeing a need for racehorses to continue with productive lives once their racing careers were finished. For the past three decades she has been the face and sounding board of New Vocations, and also runs the annual Standardbred Stallion Auction and Little Brown Jug Benefit Auction during Jug Week. Morgan has a BA in Agriculture and has been immersed in the Standardbred industry, as she is married to a fifth-generation driver/trainer. To date she has helped to place and rehome more than 5,000 retired Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds.

Dawnelle Mock, a 2016 Youngstown State University graduate, has a degree in marketing management and is the Marketing Director for the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association. Prior to taking on her current role beginning in 2017, Mock interned with the MSOA and with The Meadowlands in 2016. The Somerset, PA native grew up in the harness racing industry as her parents, Daniel and Lisa Mock, are Standardbred owners and her sister, Dana Kahrig, is a trainer based at The Meadows.

These three well-deserving HHI award recipients will be feted with their HHI Awards during the annual HHI meetings luncheon on February 27, 2020 at the Embassy Suites Resort and Spa, Deerfield Beach, Florida.

From Harness Horsemen International