Grove City, OH — Wyatt Farmer of Toledo, Ohio, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association Terry Holton Youth Award.

Farmer was born into the harness racing industry as a third-generation horseman.

Wyatt Farmer has been named the recipient of the Terry Holton Youth Award. Conrad photo.

“It’s been in my blood. It started with my grandfather and my dad followed along,” said Farmer. “I have been working around the horses my entire life, I just love it.”

A St. John’s Jesuit High School graduate, Farmer was a two-time letter winner on the Titans hockey team, earning two MVP awards.

Farmer began driving in 2021 and won his first race in just his second start, driving Jumping Jillybean to victory at the Allegan County Fair in Michigan. In 2023, Farmer won 24 races including his first pari-mutuel win at Eldorado Scioto Downs with Delishka N.

Farmer says he is honored to receive the Terry Holton Youth Award.

“People my age (18) don’t get many opportunities to drive, so I am very thankful to my parents and owner Jerry Hargraves for giving me these opportunities.”

The Terry Holton Youth Award is awarded to an Ohio horseman between the ages of 13 and 19 who have actively participated in harness racing during 2023 as a driver, trainer, groom, breeder, race office/publicity assistant, track maintenance crew, or has provided outstanding service to harness racing.

The award, in its 21st year, is named for Terry Holton, a 2005 inductee into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Holton of Newark, Ohio, was the winner of over 1,700 races in his career. He overcame many obstacles in his life, the biggest may have been overcoming pancreatic cancer.

Farmer will be honored at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association annual awards banquet on Jan. 13 at the Marriott Columbus OSU in Columbus, Ohio.