Dan Patch Awards Sunday on USHWA Facebook page

The 2021 Horse of the Year will be announced Sunday night, Feb. 20, at the annual U.S. Harness Writers Association’s (USHWA) Dan Patch Awards dinner, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment, at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla. But even if you aren’t among the attendees, you will be able to watch the announcement live via USHWA’s Facebook page.

The banquet will be held in the Gatlin D ballroom, and after a one-hour cocktail party, the awards ceremony will get underway at 6:30 p.m. (EST) and will be available via the USHWA Facebook page.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., emcees Roger Huston, Jason Settlemoir and Dave Little will announce the winner of the E. Roland Harriman Horse of the Year trophy, which follows the revealing of the names of the Pacer of the Year and Trotter of the Year.

To access USHWA’s Facebook page, please click here<www.facebook.com/USHarnessWriters/>. The entire video will also be available on the U.S. Trotting Association’s website the following day, Monday, Feb. 21, by clicking here www.ustrotting.com/.

Post time for the evening is 5:30 p.m., with a one-hour cocktail reception sponsored by Lindy Farms, Preferred Equine and David McDuffee. Also starring on the Diamond Creek Red Carpet will be Heather Vitale and Heather Wilder, with the two Heathers broadcasting live on their individual Facebook pages. It’s your opportunity to see who’s wearing what and what the attendees have to say about the festivities.

Heather Vitale’s Facebook page can be found here: www.facebook.com/PacinHeather. Heather Wilder’s Facebook page can be found here: www.facebook.com/heather.k.wilder

Also, this year’s Dan Patch Awards evening will be capped off by a special afterparty next door to the ballroom.

The two-hour, open bar afterparty, sponsored by Nancy Takter, Black Horse Racing, David Miller, Nifty Norman Stable, Heritage Hill Farm and Kentuckiana Farms, will be highlighted by local deejay Sarah Masters spinning tunes for dancing.