Vernon, NY – The New York Sire Stakes and United States Trotting Association (USTA) District 8 hosted their Annual Awards Banquet on Sunday (Nov. 13) at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel to recognize and honor horses, owners, and breeders of the 2022 season.

During the Annual Awards, USTA District 8 announced Valentina Blu as the Horse of the Year.

The additional awardees are as follows:

USTA District 8 Individual Awards

Owner of the Year: Purple Haze
Breeder of the Year: Winbak Farm
Trainer of the Year: Ray Schnittker
Driver of the Year: Jason Bartlett

New York Sire Stakes Individual Awards

· Leading Driver: Brian Sears

· Leading Trainer: Marcus Melandar

· Leading Breeder: Winbak Farm

County Fair Individual Awards

Leading Driver: Mark Whitcroft
Leading Trainer: Cheryl Davis Whitcroft

VIDEO: To watch the Annual Awards Banquet, visit the New York Sire Stakes’ social media pages.