from the California Harness Horsemen’s Association

Sacramento, CA — It was a warm and sunny day as the California Harness Horsemen’s Association held its annual awards meeting in the clubhouse at Cal Expo on Sunday (March 29). Inducted into the CHHA Hall of Fame were Alan Horowitz and Gene and Bill Vallandingham.

Horowitz wore many hats in the business and started out as a partner with longtime friends Donald and Barbara Arnstine and Steve Desomer with a $25,000 claimer named Quaker Byrd. The horse won his first race for the partners and Horowitz was then hooked.

Moving on he would eventually become a board member and president of CHHA.

In 1994 Horowitz was instrumental in bringing in Steve Berry to purchase Capital Racing from the horsemen and turned racing around in California. As General Manager Horowitz ran a very successful meet until changing hats to become the executive secretary for CHHA until his retirement in 2013.

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame were brothers Gene and Bill Vallandingham.

Gene Vallandingham, also known as Mr. California of harness racing, grew up in the business in Kentucky, eventually moving to Illinois where he took driving titles at Washington Park and Aurora Downs. In 1971, he made the move to California where he established himself as a top driver/trainer. Known for his long blond locks, he was then nicknamed Golden Rod or Go Rod. With his red, white and blue colors and famous white boots, he went on to become a fan favorite.

Bill Vallandingham was also a dedicated horseman to the California circuit in his own right. Wearing many hats as a groom, paddock judge, horse identifier, horse tattooer and eventual starting gate judge, he was and still is the horsemen’s friend and a big supporter of California racing. While you may have seen him on the golf course or playing softball on a horsemen’s team his license plate said it all, Billy V 4 u. If horsemen needed to school their horses he would on his own time make sure he had the gate out there so the young horses could get gate time, or if a farm needed their foals tattooed, he was there when you needed him.

Divisional 3-year-old winners were also announced along with the 2014 Horse of the Year.

Placer 3,2:00.1 ($30,552) took top male trotter. He is owned by Desomer Stables. Ahh Panama 3,2:01.2 ($28,569) was awarded the top filly trotter. She is owned by Henry Wieseneck, Martin Garey and Bob Johnson. J’s Littlerockstar p,3,1:55.2 ($28,569) took top filly pacer honors for owner James Kennedy. King Of The Crop p,3,1:54.3 ($40,470) was awarded the top male pacer for owner Frank Naveraz.

El Azteca, owned by Marco Rios, was voted 2014 Horse of the Year.

James Kennedy picked up his first award for being the top driver/trainer in the sires stakes.

And lastly, top stallion awards were given to the trotting and pacing stallions for their offspring’s performance in the sires stakes. Panama Hanover, owned by Debra Budahn, took the trotting stallion award and Little Steven, owned by Shari Burns, took top pacing stallion honors.

The CHHA members also voted for three directors to the board with David Neumeister and Steve Wiseman retaining their seats on the board and David Siegel now joining the board, replacing Renee Mancino.