Pennsylvania awards celebration held at Harrah's Chester

February 11, 2008

May June Character, the winner of the 2007 Adios, was honored as Pennsylvania Harness Horse of the Year last night, while world record-setting freshman trotter Lear Jetta was named PA Sire Stakes Horse of the Year � the top equine prizes given at the first annual Celebration of Pennsylvania Harness Racing, held at Harrah�s Chester racetrack.

Melinda Tucker, Director of Racetrack Gaming for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and its chief liaison with the racing industries, was honored with the Mary Lib Miller Award, named for the vivacious spouse of the late Del Miller, for outstanding contribution to Pennsylvania Harness Racing. Completing a �female Trifecta� of awardees were a pair of winners of the �Friend of Pennsylvania Harness Racing� trophy: Catherine Baker Knoll, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and a staunch harness enthusiast, and Cheryl Bender, who was the chief motivating impetus in bringing racing back to the Erie County Fair after a year�s absence due to financial constraints.

An emotional high point of the evening came with the naming of Dave and Ronna Brickell as Pennsylvania Owners of the Year. Dave was the leading trainer on the Keystone fair circuit in 2007 despite living with an ongoing tragedy: the gradual wasting away and eventual death of his beloved spouse Ronna from Lou Gehrig�s disease. A large portion of the Brickell family came to the stage to take part in the trophy presentation.

The biggest collector of trophies � four � was captured, as you might expect at a Pennsylvania dinner, by an entity beginning with �H� � but this time it was Small Breeder of the Year Harold Brocious, 74 years young, whose horses also won three blankets emblematic of topping their fair division. The �H� you were probably thinking of � Hanover � had to make do with three awards, including Breeder of the Year.

The Celebration of Pennsylvania Harness Racing was created largely through the drive of Racing Commission Deputy Director of Harness Racing Anton J. Leppler and the harmonic, solid financial support of all the entities supporting Pennsylvania harness racing. Some 350 people were in attendance for the dinner and the awards program, which was hosted by Roger Huston, the announcer at The Meadows. (PHRC)

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