Lexington, KY – The much-anticipated announcement of the 2025 Horse of the Year will be made Sunday night (Feb. 22) at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla., during the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s (USHWA) annual Dan Patch Awards banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment.
The weekend’s festivities will kick off on Friday night (Feb. 20) at Rosen Shingle Creek when there will be a gathering in Hospitality Suite 1601 at 10 p.m. for a remembrance toast to former USHWA president Barry Lefkowitz, who passed away shortly after last year’s Dan Patch Awards weekend. And then on Saturday night (Feb. 21), things will ramp up with the Diamond Creek Farm outdoor welcome reception on the Lake Toho Deck near the hospitality suites.
In addition to an open bar and appetizers served during the two-hour reception that gets underway at 5 p.m., attendees are in for a treat as Team Beau Jangles proudly presents country singer-songwriter Mitch Rossell in concert during the second half beginning at 6 p.m.
Any horsepersons at the nearby training centers should note that they are welcome to attend the Saturday welcome reception that features Rossell, who has toured as an opening act for Garth Brooks and was a finalist on the TV show America’s Got Talent, where renowned judge Simon Cowell called his audition “brilliant.”
“We are again looking forward to what should be a great weekend honoring harness racing’s best of 2025,” said USHWA president Michael Carter. “Mitch Rossell, who is as country as country can get, was a huge hit at last year’s welcome reception and we are thrilled that he is able to entertain us again this year.”
In addition, USHWA’s late-night Hospitality Party on Saturday, sponsored by Sweet Lou, will offer an open bar, snacks and pizza, and take place in the Butler Room from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.