Orlando, FL – The U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA) is pleased to announce that the 2026 Dan Patch Awards banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment, will return to the popular Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando, FL on Sunday, Feb. 22. In addition, the Dan Patch Awards dinner will also be held at Rosen Shingle Creek in 2027 as a two-year agreement was reached.
The Dan Patch Awards banquet annually honors the best and brightest performers, both human and equine, of the previous season. Rosen Shingle Creek played host to the Dan Patch weekend for the first time in 2018, and in 2024 the festivities shifted to its sister property Rosen Centre, where it was also held in 2025.
“USHWA is ecstatic to return to Rosen Shingle Creek, one of the finest resorts anywhere,” said USHWA President Michael Carter. “The Rosen properties have been our Dan Patch Awards home for the past eight years and we are excited to see that continue. We are thrilled that we have secured a home for the Dan Patch weekend for the next two years.”
A full weekend of activities are slated to take place in 2026, including a Saturday night poolside reception and a Red Carpet cocktail party prior to the awards dinner. USHWA will hold its annual directors meeting on Saturday, Feb. 21, and its general membership meeting the morning of the banquet.
Located just off Universal Boulevard, within 15 minutes of the Orlando International Airport and close to the many area attractions, the 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek is a five-star property that is ranked a top-20 U.S. Meeting hotel by Cvent. The stunning 230-acre property includes four swimming pools, two lighted tennis courts, a spa that includes nine treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an 18-hole, Arnold Palmer redesigned golf course.
There are also 15 restaurant/lounges, including the upscale steakhouse A Land Remembered, the fine-dining bistro Cala Bella, Café Osceola, Tobias Burgers and Brew, Banrai Sushin, Mi Casa Tequila and Taqueria, and a 24-hour deli.
Dinner ticket prices and menu will be announced later, with a reduced price for children 12 and under. All attendees will receive a 10-percent discount at all the abovementioned restaurants, and a green fees discount at the Shingle Creek Golf Club.
All standard rooms under the USHWA block are $209/night (plus applicable taxes). For room reservations, please use USHWA’s dedicated hotel link, which can also be found at the USHWA website www.usharnesswriters.com.
To inquire about sponsorship opportunities for the weekend, including live video streaming and the Red Carpet reception, please contact USHWA Sponsorship Committee chairman Shawn Wiles at swiles@rwcatskills.com.
The United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) is the leading group of communicators about the Standardbred horse. USHWA conducts the official annual balloting for the sport’s most prestigious honors: induction to the Hall of Fame and Communicators Hall of Fame, along with the selection of the Horse of the Year, Trotter and Pacer of the Year, and the leading divisional horses of each season. Each year USHWA hosts the Dan Patch Awards Banquet, honoring the best and brightest performers in North American harness racing. This banquet is the Association’s principal source of funding, and with generous financial support from the harness racing and breeding industry, USHWA is able to host the banquet at a world-class facility in a world-class manner.