Columbus, OH — Noted Grand Circuit driver/trainer Billy Herman has been elected as the 52nd member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame by the members of the Ohio Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA).
Herman was born Feb. 21, 1940, in Frankfort, Ohio, and grew up in Good Hope, Ohio. He developed a love for horses at a young age while riding his pony to school and cleaning stalls at the Washington Court House, Ohio, fairgrounds. His passion for harness racing led him to compete at Ohio fairs and raceways, where he honed his skills and gained valuable experience.
In the 1970s, Herman made a bold move to leave his hometown and moved to New York to pursue his career at Roosevelt and Yonkers Raceways. In 1972, he relocated to southern Florida to work as the second trainer for renowned horseman George Sholty. When Sholty was injured in 1976, Herman took over as the primary driver for the stable and continued to achieve success.
He moved to Ben White Raceway to train for Hanover Shoe Farms before branching out with his own stable.
During his career, Herman trained and drove numerous champion horses, winning the Kentucky Futurity with Noble Rogue and Texas. He won the Kentucky Filly Futurity three times, and he won the Hambletonian Oaks with Cora T. He also claimed victories in the Woodrow Wilson and Jugette, and he won top races with Scarlet Skipper and Franz Hanover.
He is probably best remembered for multiple Dan Patch Award winning-filly Toy Poodle. As this year’s Proximity Award winner, Bill O’Donnell, recalls, “He had some really great horses, but the first that comes to mind is Toy Poodle. She had to race against the boys a lot of the time—and she beat them.”
Records for at least the first two decades of his career were not documented, but as a driver, Herman amassed well over 1,400 career wins and earned significantly more than the $10 million in purses reflected in his USTA statistics.
Throughout his career, Herman was known as an all-around horseman, respected trainer, and skilled driver who left a lasting impact on the harness racing community. As Chuck Sylvester sums up, “We all wanted him to drive our horses. He was a very good driver — very easy on a horse, and incredibly patient. That really stood out.”
Herman will be honored at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association’s annual banquet on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville, in Westerville, Ohio.