The Norwegian Standardbred Breeders’ Association — Travavl.no — has for the ninth year running named their annual Horse of the Year “Made In Norway” award winner. The award is dedicated to the breeder of the horses selected.

This year’s winner is 9-year-old Cokstile, bred by Per Erik Hagen of Asker, Norway.

Norway’s Cokstile rallied off a hot tempo and drew clear in the stretch to win the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot earlier this year. Mike Lizzi photo.

It has been a big year for Cokstile and his associates. His biggest victories came in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot in New York, and also the Group I races Finlandia Ajo and Campionato Europeo in three heats. He also won the Prix de Bourgogne (Gr. II) at Vincennes in Paris, and competed in both the Elitlopp and Prix d’Amerique. He is the richest horse in Norway in the 2022 season, and is now also the richest and fastest Norwegian bred trotter in history.

Cokstile has won 28 races so far in his career and made $2 million and has a lifetime mark of 1:51.1f. In addition to the previously mentioned victories, he also won the Elitlopp and a total of eight Group I races. He has set several track records, and set a Norwegian record for six consecutive years from the age of 3. He is a son of Quite Easy (Andover Hall) and elite mare Joystile (by Coktail Jet).

The jury members have been Kristine Kvasnes, Tron Gravdal and Truls Gravdal Pedersen.

Other horses on the short list this year were Stoletheshow (Dream Vacation), who won the Oslo Grand Prix and the Ulf Thoresen Memorial, and Moni Viking (Maharajah), who won the Åby Grand Prix and Sundsvall Open Trot.

Previous winners are:
2021: Hickothepooh
2020: Cokstile
2019: Hillary B.R.
2018: Lionel
2017: Lionel
2016: Lionel
2015: Papagayo E
2014: Support Justice

The award will be presented to the breeder, Per Erik Hagen, at Bjerke Race Track in Oslo on Dec. 17.