A native of Trotwood, Ohio, Tom Aldrich gained renown as a dynamic manager at Northfield Park, where he brought about a renaissance at the Cleveland-area half-mile track.

During his tenure as manager at Northfield, Aldrich created high-profile races that attracted top-tier horses, which led to competitive race cards that made the track a premier destination for harness racing enthusiasts and bettors alike. As a hands-on leader, he was a constant, visible presence throughout the facility, ensuring every aspect of the track operated smoothly.

Aldrich was introduced to harness racing by going to Lebanon Raceway with his father, Clyde. After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in 1972 and a law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1975, he appeared headed toward a career as a lawyer. [More...]

During his 40-plus year career in harness racing, Dan Ater became one of the most respected horsemen in Ohio.

Born June 29, 1954, in Clarksburg, Ohio, Ater graduated from Adena High School in 1974 and served his community as a Deerfield Township trustee for 24 years while working as a harness racehorse driver and trainer for over four decades. Throughout his career, he amassed 1,697 wins and over $5.8 million in earnings as a driver along with 1,686 victories and more than $11.8 million in earnings as a trainer. He won driving titles at Lebanon Raceway, Scioto Downs, Northfield Park, and Balmoral Park and a training title at Miami Valley. [More...]

Veteran driver/trainer won more than 800 races and $2.1 million in purses during seven decades in the sport. Top horses included Chet Lynn Hayes, Town Leader, and Ocean Mouth. Native Ohioan was a decorated WWII veteran, and one of the original founders of the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association.

Tom Brinkerhoff, one of Ohio's top trainers/drivers, was enshrined as the 45th member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame. During Brinkerhoff's 60-plus year career, he campaigned some of Ohio's best horses, including Osborne Creed; Osborne's Bret; Golly Too, the time Ohio Sires Stake champion; Lark's Luke ($441,240); Doc Mistake ($342,793); and Ruffstuff Baker, the Ohio Triple Crown winner in 1993. Brinkerhoff was elected into the Northfield Park Wall of Fame in 1994 and received the Jerry Kaltenbach Memorial Award as the top Ohio Stake trainer in 1995. [More...]

Born Dec. 13, 1928, on a farm near Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Richard Buxton went on to become a renowned harness racing driver and trainer.

Buxton, who lettered in football and basketball in high school, began his harness racing career working for Harness Racing Hall of Famer Wayne “Curly” Smart and made his first driving start at the Knox County Fair in Mt. [More...]

A native of Springfield, Ohio, Charters began his career with horses in the 1960s working as a groom at the Madison County, Fairgrounds and Scioto Downs for several seasons. He later worked for trainers Dick Buxton and Delvin Miller. He worked as a race secretary in Macau and at The Meadows in Pennsylvania before becoming Executive Director of the Breeders Crown in 1984. [More...]

Described as “a publicity man’s publicity man,” Lawrence T. “Larry” Evans took a circuitous path to a career in harness racing en route to becoming one of the sport’s most well-known spokesmen and writers.

Evans, a native of Columbus, Indiana, graduated from Hanover College in 1934 with training in journalism but began working as a chemist for Arvin Industries. He went on to serve as secretary of the Indiana legislature’s House Ways and Means Committee, publisher of a weekly newspaper in Indianapolis, and fingerprint expert with the FBI in Washington, D.C. [More...]

Edward Franklin "Pop" Geers was born on Jan. 25, 1851, in Lebanon, Tennessee. He was the son of a farmer and shopkeeper.

A young Geers was given a pair of cows to oversee and taught them to line drive, and he eventually traded those cows for a 2-year-old colt trotter. [More...]

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. [More...]

Described by The Thoroughbred of California as “the dean of American turf journalists,” John Hervey had a Hall of Fame writing career in harness racing.

Born in 1869 in Jefferson, Ohio, Hervey was raised in a horseman’s family and began writing about Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing around the age of 16. Not long afterwards, he was hired by William Fasig to work in his sales organization, which became the Fasig-Tipton Company, and was writing articles for a variety of turf journals. Hervey’s connection with Fasig led to him becoming the editor of The Trotting Horse in 1892, and he also contributed to the Chicago Tribune and Daily Racing Form. [More...]

How important was Charlie Hill to the sport of harness racing in Ohio? Jim Powers, general manager of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association in 1991, cited Hill’s death as a huge loss for the sport.

“If it weren’t for Charlie, there would be no harness racing in central Ohio,” Powers said. “He was its backbone.”

Founder and owner of Scioto Downs in Columbus, Hill was known as one of the true gentlemen of the sport. [More...]

Trainer/ Driver Terry Holton has long been regarded as one of the top horsemen in the Midwest, and he was formally acknowledged as such with his 2005 induction into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame. Holton, a native of Newark, Ohio, has driven the winners of more than 1,700 races and has earnings of more than $4.7 million. He got his first exposure in harness racing in 1953, and after graduating high school in 1960, Holton went on to win his first race.

He has won numerous driving and training titles at Scioto Downs and is a longtime Ohio Harness Horseman's Association director. [More...]

Donald "Skip" Hoovler, a longtime Standardbred owner known for his relentless dedication to the sport, was elected as the 51st member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2025.

Hoovler became involved in harness racing in 1968 and races mostly homebreds in the Ohio stakes program. Among his top horses were Medoland Sam ($231,120), Medoland Big Sam ($309,423), Medoland Miracle ($289,633), Northmedo Tam ($128,722) and Northmedo Mission ($322,178).

Hoovler’s greatest accomplishment in harness racing has come away from racetracks and breeding sheds. He has given selflessly of his time for the betterment of the sport in the Buckeye State. [More...]

Buckeye native is arguably the sport's foremost race caller. With more than 40 years behind the microphone, Huston has called races in 15 different states, six countries and on three continents. Long known as the voice of The Meadows, the man of many rings is no-doubt best known for his memorable calls of every Little Brown Jug since 1967.

Driver Don Irvine Jr. has stood the test of time.

Born Feb. 8, 1951, in Mt. [More...]

A native of Kentucky, Jones has spent his career managing Standardbred breeding farms. After serving in World War II, Jones assisted his father in managing Mac-Dot Farm, a breeding and training facility outside of Columbus in the late 1940s. He moved to Pickwick Farm near Bucyrus in 1951 where he played a major role in developing the use of artificial insemination in Standardbred racehorses. [More...]

Jerry Knappenberger of Newark, Ohio began his 50-year harness racing career as an assistant trainer for fellow Hall of Famer Terry Holton. In 1998, Knappenberger took over as General Manager of the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association, a position he held for 17 years. Kappenberger, worked tirelessly for the introduction of Video Lottery Terminals in the state of Ohio. [More...]

Retiring after the 2025 season at the age of 85, Don McKirgan finished his career with 3,731 driving wins and over $11.3 million in earnings en route to being named to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.

Born on October 17, 1940, in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, McKirgan trained horses for his father when Northfield Park opened in 1957 and began driving there in 1958. McKirgan served in the U.S. [More...]

William “Doc” McMillen was born in Madison County, Ohio, in 1890 and received his nickname early in life while working for a veterinarian. During his long career in harness racing, he was associated with many notable horses and received several awards, and it has been noted that many horsemen credit their knowledge of the sport’s fundamentals to his teachings.

In his youth, McMillen was considered among the top harness racing drivers in the country. He began his career in 1917 and made his first start in 1920 at Jamestown, Ohio. [More...]

Virgil Morgan, Jr. is not just one of the greatest trainers in the Buckeye State, he is one of the greatest trainers in the Midwest and in North America.

Virgil was introduced to the sport of harness racing through his uncle, Emory Lewis, and his father, Virgil Morgan, Sr. He bought his first horse at the age of 17 and later started working for trainer Randy Owens before striking out on his own in the late 1980s.

His horses have won more than 7,700 races and $78 million in earnings. [More...]

Anthony “Tony” Morgan was born in Troy, Ohio in June of 1958 and is the son of veteran driver and Michigan Hall of Famer, Eddie Morgan, Jr. and grandson of the late Ed and Winnie Morgan.

Tony began his career at the tender age of 13 when he drove in an amateur race at his hometown track, the Miami County Fairgrounds in Troy.

His first of his nearly 18,000 career wins came on May 13, 1973, when he piloted Peachakona to a win in a matinee race at Celina, Ohio.

Spent most of his teenage years racing on the Ohio fair circuit, then headed to Kentucky when he received his “A” license at age 18.

Tony emerged in the early ’90s as one of the top drivers on the Chicago racing circuit and for three consecutive campaigns (1995-97), he was the leading dash-winning driver in North America. He won the Jugette with the pacing mare, Magic Shopper, in 1995 for trainer Brett Shultz and owners Charles and Julie Nash.

In 1996, his total of 853 wins broke the all-time single-season record set by Walter Case Jr.

Tony was the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association President from 1998 to 2004. [More...]

The son of 1994 Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Don Mossbarger, veterinarian Dr. John Mossbarger is president of Midland Acres Inc., a family-owned breeding farm in Bloomingburg, Ohio, that has been home to many top stallions over the years. [More...]

Dr. Don “Doc” Mossbarger operated a large animal veterinary practice and founded Midland Acres, a prominent Standardbred horse farm in Bloomingburg, Ohio. Upon Mossbarger’s death in 2015, the United States Trotting Association credited Midland Acres with breeding more than 1,584 Standardbred horses.

Mossbarger was born March 28, 1922, in Ross County, Ohio, and graduated from Clarksburg High School in 1940. [More...]

As a successful politician and horseman, Corwin Nixon positively impacted the Standardbred industry and the lives of Ohioans for over 50 years.

Nixon served three terms as a Warren County commissioner from 1950 to 1962, when he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. He rose to become the Minority Leader of the Republican Party in 1979 and held that post until his retirement in 1992. Throughout his political career, he remained passionate about Standardbred horse racing and held a wide array of roles within the sport.

Born March 5, 1913, in Red Lion, Ohio, Nixon was introduced to horse racing by his grandfather, Edmund Stewart, via his role as president of the Warren County Fair Board. [More...]

Trainer/Driver Sam "Chip" Noble III was born in Xenia, Ohio, and broke into racing at Lebanon Raceway at the tender age of 17. Known over the years for his fantastic percentage figures, Noble won driving titles at Latonia and Lebanon before turning his attention to bigger circuits. Chosen to represent the United States in the biennial World Driving Championship in 2001 and 2003. [More...]

Mentor businessman Jerome Osborne, born in 1922, has been a strong and steadfast supporter of Ohio harness racing since the mid-1960s. He's enjoyed success at the highest levels with such stars as Majestic Osborne, Osborne's Bret, Sharky Osborne, Justabit Of Magic, Empress Osborne, Obsborne's Gypsy, and Osborne Creed, a star pacer in the early 1970s.

Hugh Maynard “Doc” Parshall was born Dec. 21, 1898, in Hillsboro, Ohio. He developed a love of horses while growing up and later graduated from Indiana Veterinary College before making a name for himself in harness racing as a two-time Hambletonian winner among other feats as an owner, trainer, and driver.

Parshall opened his harness racing career in the fair circuit in central Ohio and adjoining states and quickly became one of the leading drivers in the country. [More...]

A native of Bremen, Ohio, Dave Rankin was born Aug. 3, 1946, and grew up in a racing family. He was the son of the well known Ohio horseman Scott Rankin. [More...]

It has been said that few horsemen have had careers as lengthy and as productive as Gene Riegle.

Born June 3, 1928, in Greenville, Ohio, Riegle got his start in harness racing by helping his accomplished horseman father, Roy, with tasks in the barn. He went on to work at the top levels of the sport for nearly five decades as a trainer and driver en route to being elected to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Harness Racing Living Hall of Fame in 1991.

While in his early teens, Riegle’s parents died in a car accident, leaving him to take over training duties while his brother, Dick, became his assistant trainer. Riegle won the first start of his career in 1951 at the age of 17 at the Darke County Fair in Greenville, defeating Hall of Fame horseman Sanders Russell. [More...]

Operator of Northern Farms, Painesville, Ohio. Owner and breeder revered for his work with the Lake County Fairgrounds. Past President Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association, Harness Horseman International, and the Lake County Agricultural Society as well as a director of United States Trotting Association. [More...]

Richard "Dick" Stillings of Mount Vernon, Ohio has driven 5,751 career winners with more than $41.7 million in purse earnings. Stillings began his career as a groom for Hall of Fame trainer Dick Buxton. After a three-year stint in the U.S. [More...]

Ivan Sugg had the dream year of his four-decade training career in 2003 when he won the Pacing Triple Crown with No Pan Intended, just the tenth horse in history to do so. Sugg, a native of Deshler, Ohio, was also voted Trainer of the Year that year. The affable trainer followed his father into the business, and the trend has continued, with Sugg's sons Kurt and Duke also active in the sport.

Sugg Passes Harness Racing Down by Tyson Agler NWS Sports Writer - July 26, 2018

At a young age, Ivan Sugg was exposed to harness racing. [More...]

A resident of Vienna Ohio has been selected as the 43rd member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

Wollam began his illustrious career in 1965 working for Forrest Short. Since then, Wollam has tallied 1,784 trips to the winners as a trainer and 1,139 in the sulky. He also has 12 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships with such standouts as Full Count, Count Me in, Doink N Doni, Contessa Leigh, and Neely's Messenger.

Wollam also campaigned Striking Sabra who collected $217,492 on the racetrack and was responsible for progeny that earned more than $67.8 million. [More...]