by Jerry Connors, secretary, USHWA

Dover, DE — The United States Harness Writers Association, harness racing’s principal organization for media workers, held its annual meetings this past Saturday and Sunday at the Dover Downs complex, with the weekend culminating in the Dan Patch Awards Banquet held Sunday (Feb. 23) night, attended by almost 400 people and streamed worldwide for live viewing.

During the Saturday meeting, the directors of the Association voted for Bob Marks and Kathy Parker to be on the Communicators Hall of Fame voting ballot this summer.

Marks has been a leading force in many harness dimensions over his 50 years in the sport, most recently as Marketing Director for Perretti Farms, while Parker, from a prominent harness family, worked her way through the ranks at the Horseman and Fair World weekly magazine until becoming editor in 1995 and later general manager of the Horseman Publishing Company, positions she maintains to this day.

At the conclusion of the meetings, the membership voted in their slate of association officials for 2014-15. Chris Tully, an MBA marketing specialist and writer whose digital literacy and social media acumen has helped bring USHWA to the cutting edge of communications technology, was elected president of the association, succeeding Steve Wolf of Harnesslink.com; Tully’s “first official act” was to present Wolf, who now becomes the chairman of the board, with a gold lifetime membership pin. Tim Bojarski, writer/blogger for the USTA, moved up a chair to 1st vice president, with the 2VP position going to Shawn Wiles, Monticello Raceway chief racing officer and a longtime USTA and USHWA director.

Judy Davis-Wilson, who is based in Dover and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the weekend, especially the banquet, was returned as treasurer; Alan Prince, who attended his 48th consecutive USHWA meetings weekend, remains as executive treasurer. Also elected was Jerry Connors as USHWA secretary.

Much of the discussion during the two days of meetings focused on the sport’s Hall of Fame in Goshen N.Y., where plans for renovation and modernization are starting to advance rapidly, and where USHWA makes a significant contribution. In addition to the physical reconfiguration of the Hall of Fame area, the directors and membership discussed several by-law and rules change relating to the Hall, especially the re-establishment of a seniors category for both.

Debate was plentiful, lively, and well-reasoned on all sides, and some of these matters were tabled until a committee, soon to be appointed, can focus on the merits — and the eventual wording — of the varied proposed changes.

The attendees heard reports from the many committees that keep USHWA functioning throughout the year, and were glad to hear from Davis-Wilson, voted the organization’s member of the year, that the treasury was in a very good shape, pointing to future success in USHWA’s upcoming progressive efforts.

The Dan Patch Awards Dinner was as always the highlight of the gathering, with superstar sophomore trotting filly Bee A Magician “finishing her unbeaten season” by being elected Trotter of the Year and then Harness Horse of the Year; her contemporary, the pacing colt Captaintreacherous, took down overall honors for that gait after a brilliant campaign showing speed and courage in equal amounts. Also honored were the quartet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday (July 6) in Goshen: Harness Racing Hall of Famers David Miller and William Weaver, and Communicators Hall inductees Carol Cramer and John Pawlak.