from the Wisconsin Harness Horse Assn.

Platteville, WI —Scott Douglas of Darlington, Wis., has been named by Wisconsin Harness Horse Association President Gabe Wand as the 2014 Horseperson of the Year.

Douglas has grown up in the harness racing industry while beginning to train horses at the Lafayette County Fairgrounds in Darlington, Wis. Throughout the 1990s he raced at numerous county fairs, Chicagoland race tracks, and the now defunct Quad City Downs in East Moline, Ill.

WHHA photo

Scott Douglas has been named as WHHA Horseperson of the Year.

Early in the 2000s, Douglas moved his stable to the Iowa County Fairgrounds, in Mineral Point, Wis., where he currently is stabled. He is also the President of the Iowa County Horsemen’s Association as well as Superintendent of Speed for the Iowa County Fair.

Douglas has always had a passion for training horses and has managed a small part-time stable since starting his family (wife, Lori, children, Harley, Gina and Matthew) and doing so all while working full time for a manufacturing company in Darlington.

Staying true to his Wisconsin roots, he has sent horses postward at the county fairs in Wisconsin which have returned numerous awards. His trainees have garnered 16 top ten pacer awards from the WHHA, which include Runner-Up Pacer of the Year in 2009 with Sue’s Blue Jeans.

However, 2014 proved to be a year where horses under his care were almost unbeatable by winning 21 of 26 starts in Wisconsin. His 26-21-3-1 record gave him a UTR of .884, higher than anyone else in the state. Douglas had three undefeated horses (Super Son Of Sandy, Fox Valley Ibis and Fox Valley Richrockr).

Super Son Of Sandy, owned by Robert Larkey of Maquoketa, Iowa, gave Douglas his first Pacer of the Year title while Santanna Long Legs, owned by Kerry, Lily and June Long, finished in the runner-up slot.

With Fox Valley Ibis and McFamous’ top ten finishes, Douglas trained four of the top ten pacers for 2014. No other trainer has had more horses finish in the top ten in a single season.

Douglas will receive his award at the Wisconsin Harness Horse Association banquet on Jan. 24 at the Howard Johnson in Madison, Wis. For more information or tickets to the event, please contact WHHA President Gabe Wand (608.574.5468) or e-mail gabewand@yahoo.com.