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...]

Nicknamed “Hambo Howard” as a three-time winner of the Hambletonian, Howard Beissinger was one of harness racing’s top trainer-drivers and trotting specialists. He enjoyed international fame as he raced across the U.S. and Canada as well as at tracks in Russia, Germany, Sweden, and Italy.

Born on May 16, 1923, on the family farm near Hamilton, Ohio, Beissinger was known for his tough, no-nonsense approach to his profession, and his unfailing attention to detail in matters such as proper shoeing won him the admiration of many of his fellow horsemen.

A third-generation horseman, Beissinger learned the horse business from his father, who farmed and raced a few horses in the summer. [More...]

Gerald Bookmyer, one of the most talented drivers to ever hail from Ohio, was elected to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.

Bookmyer was born on Aug. 15, 1941. Known as “Bookie,” he enjoyed success with for many years. [More...]

Richard "Dick" Brandt Sr. was a longtime harness racing driver and trainer and a founding member of the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association.

Born Oct. 13, 1917, in Logan, Ohio, Brandt Sr. [More...]

During his 60-plus year career in harness racing, Tom Brinkerhoff became one of Ohio’s top trainer-drivers.

Brinkerhoff was born on Sept. 12, 1937, in Wooster, Ohio. The son of renowned horseman Jess Brinkerhoff, he won his first race in 1956 at age 18 in Wooster. [More...]

William “Bill” Brown was one of harness racing’s most prominent, multi-talented, and respected farm managers.

Brown was born in Lebanon, Ohio, on Nov. 10, 1927. His grandfather, Sam Snider, was the trainer and farm manager at King Stock Farm in Kings Mills, Ohio. [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 onetime caretaker, Tom Charters rose up the ranks in harness racing to become president and CEO of the Hambletonian Society and ultimately to the Hall of Fame.

Born on Aug. 6, 1948, in Springfield, Ohio, Charters became a harness racing fan at 8 years old going with his family to Hilliard Raceway. He began his harness racing career as a teenager working for Dick Hackett, the brother of Hall of Famer Jim Hackett, at his stable at Scioto Downs from 1965 to 1968. [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...]

A man of many firsts, Robert “Bob” Farrington was one of harness racing’s first superstar trainer-drivers.

Born on July 15, 1929, Farrington was raised in the Richwood and Rushsylvania area of Ohio. He went on to become a six-time national driving champion, taking the title in 1961 and 1962 and each year from 1964 through 1967. He won 36 driving titles in his career with 30 of them coming at Chicago-area tracks, including six each at Sportsman’s Park and Washington Park. [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...]

A noted Grand Circuit driver and trainer Billy Herman was born on 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 was long regarded as one of the top horsemen in the Midwest. He closed out his driving career in 2005 with 1,703 wins and over $4.7 million in earnings.

Holton was born on Nov. 16, 1941, in Newark, Ohio. [More...]

Donald “Skip” Hoovler, a longtime Ohio harness racing owner and former director of the United States Trotting Association, was known for his decades of leadership and advocacy that helped shape the sport in the Buckeye State.

Hoovler, who first got involved in harness racing in 1968, was widely respected as both a horseman and an administrator. In 2025, he was inducted into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in recognition of his lasting contributions to the industry.

For several decades, Hoovler served as a director of the United States Trotting Association before retiring from the board in 2025. His tenure on the USTA board was defined by his extraordinary dedication and his reputation as one of the association's most financially savvy leaders. [More...]

Known as “The Voice,” Roger Huston has become a legendary figure as a harness racing announcer.

Born on September 16, 1942, in Xenia, Ohio, Huston ended 2025 having called over 184,000 races all over the world, including Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Australia, Wales, and Ireland in addition to the U.S. His distinctive announcing style has made him one of the most recognizable voices in the sport, and he is often cited as setting the standard for harness race announcing. He has announced at 37 different county fairs in Ohio — working between five and 17 fairs each year — and called the Little Brown Jug for 57 years in his more than six decades in harness racing. [More...]

Born Feb. 8, 1951, in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, Don Irvine Jr. [More...]

Hal Jones spent his entire career managing several of the finest Standardbred breeding facilities in the U.S. and played a major role in developing the use of artificial insemination in Standardbred racehorses.

Jones was born on Dec. 23, 1924, in Southgate, Kentucky. [More...]

Longtime Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association general manager Jerry Knappenberger had a career in harness racing spanning 50 years.

Born Oct. 9, 1942, in Newark, Ohio, Knappenberger got hooked on harness racing at an early age. He attended school and went to fairs with 2005 Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductee Terry Holton from fifth to 12th grade, and they went on to train horses together.

Knappenberger graduated from Newark High School in 1960 and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Ohio State University. [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...]

An industrialist, harness racing executive, and horse breeder, Walter Michael was the founder of Northfield Park.

Born Dec. 6, 1900, in Cleveland, Ohio, Michael relocated with his family to Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1909. He graduated from Bucyrus High School and later attended Ohio State University.

His father, Charles, was the founding president of Ohio Locomotive Crane Co. [More...]

Elected to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1985 and the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1991, Don Millar was instrumental in growing the United States Trotting Association from a fledgling operation into an established organization.

Born in Wisconsin, Millar trained and drove harness horses in his home state before graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1939 with a degree in journalism. He worked as a reporter for the Milwaukee Sentinel during World War II, after which he joined the USTA in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1949, the USTA moved its offices to Columbus, Ohio, and Millar became executive vice president. [More...]

After getting his first career win in 1981, David Miller has gone on to become the all-time leading harness racing driver in North American purse earnings as the first to surpass $300 million.

Miller became harness racing’s all-time leading driver in U.S. earnings on Feb. 11, 2026, at Miami Valley Raceway, topping the previous record of $299,892,141 established by fellow Hall of Famer John Campbell, who retired in 2017. [More...]

Known for turning Northfield Park into one of the premier harness racing tracks in the U.S., Carl Milstein was a prominent real estate developer and self-made millionaire.

Milstein was born on May 2, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio. His first job was plucking chickens for his father, Morris, who ran a poultry business. He graduated from John Adams High School and briefly attended Ohio State University. [More...]

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

Born Nov. 23, 1965, in Grove City, Ohio, Morgan Jr. [More...]

Anthony “Tony” Morgan was born in Troy, Ohio, on June 12, 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.

Morgan began his career at the age of 13 when he drove in an amateur race at his hometown track, the Miami County Fairgrounds in Troy. He scored his first career win on May 13, 1973, when he piloted Peachakona to victory in a matinee race at Celina, Ohio.

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

He emerged in the early 1990s as one of the top drivers on the Chicago racing circuit and was the leading dash-winning driver in North America for three consecutive campaigns (1995-97). [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...]

William Murray was born in 1904, and the female of the Standardbred species figured prominently in his claim to fame.

The first Standardbred that Murray ever owned was Calumet Edna, the grandam of Hall of Famer Meadow Skipper. Among the horses the master of Bonnie Brae Farm in Ohio campaigned were the great race filly and later broodmare Belle Acton as well as Jane Azoff and Just Pam.

Murray served as a USTA director from 1948 to 1981, including a time as vice-chairman of the board, was director of The Little Brown Jug Society, and president of the Standardbred Breeders Association. He was also one of the original inductees into the Hall of Fame of Animal Science at Ohio State University.

Murray was elected to the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1983. [More...]

During World War II, Joseph Neville envisioned a marquee harness racing event that would be contested in his hometown of Delaware, Ohio. That vision became the Little Brown Jug, which has grown to become harness racing’s premier pacing event for 3-year-olds.

Born in 1900 in Delaware, Ohio, Neville was the son of a blacksmith, livery owner, and later, an automobile dealer. He graduated from the University of Dayton and then Western Reserve University Law School. [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...]

Sam “Chip” Noble III was a highly accomplished harness racing driver and trainer. A fixture at Scioto Downs and other Ohio tracks for decades, he also made his mark outside the state as a leading North American driver. He finished his driving career with 5,105 victories and over $28.3 million in purse earnings to go with 1,002 wins and more than $6.9 million in earnings as a trainer.

Noble III was born on Dec. [More...]

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Robert “Bob” O’Donnell founded Hobby Horse Farm in Grafton, Ohio, where he bred, raised, and trained prominent Standardbreds.

O’Donnell attended Notre Dame and John Carroll University and served three years in the U.S. Navy. He also owned and operated the Bob O’Donnell Distributing Company, which became a very successful beer distributorship. [More...]

Self-made entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist Jerome Osborne was a strong and steadfast supporter of Ohio harness racing who enjoyed success at the highest levels.

Affectionately known as “Ace,” Osborne was born on April 6, 1922, and grew up on his family’s farm in Mentor, Ohio. As a kid, he raced ponies at the Lake County Fair, cleaned the stalls of his father’s draft horses, and searched for lost balls to clean and resell at Lost Nation Golf Course, which his father built in 1927 and later lost to the Great Depression.

He attended Mentor High School and participated in basketball, football, and track. After high school, he skipped college and went right into business.

Osborne started his professional career in 1941 in the custom farming business, growing soybeans on about 200 acres of land. [More...]

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...]

Elected to the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1961 and the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1975, Stephen “Steve” Phillips revolutionized the sport of harness racing by inventing the mobile starting gate.

Born on Sept. 16, 1887, in Xenia, Ohio, Phillips developed a love of harness racing while spending his boyhood summers with his uncle, Hall of Famer Stephen C. [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...]

Robert Sidley’s involvement in the Standardbred horse business was monumental at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Beginning in 1972, Sidley and his wife, Paulann, owned and operated Northern Farms in Painesville, Ohio. Over 50 years, he bred or raced more than 1,000 horses, many at Northfield Park and Ohio’s county fairs as well as tracks in Pennsylvania, New York, and Indiana. The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association recognized Robert and Paulann with the Maynard and Stella Hagemeyer Significant Contribution Award in 2024 for their efforts with the harness racing program at the Lake County Fair. [More...]

Thurman Wayne “Curly” Smart was a nationally known driver and trainer of harness horses who twice won the Little Brown Jug. He was one of the most respected drivers, trainers, and track conditioners in the sport.

Born in Ostrander, Ohio, in 1904, Smart began his driving career at the age of 16, piloting one of his uncle’s horses in a county fair race at Marion, Ohio, and quickly established himself in the sport. Although he raced at every major track in the country, he was most associated with the half-mile oval at Delaware, Ohio, and the Little Brown Jug. [More...]

Robert “Bob” Steele served more than 40 years as general manager at Scioto Downs and 50 years as presiding judge at the Delaware (Ohio) County Fair.

Born Dec. 5, 1919, Steele graduated from North High School in 1938 and went on to work at Timken Roller Bearing Company. He served in the U.S. [More...]

A member of multiple halls of fame, Richard “Dick” Stillings drove or trained some of the best Grand Circuit horses in the 1980s as part of a long, successful career in harness racing.

Stillings was born on March 7, 1944, in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. After graduating from Mt. [More...]

A native of Deshler, Ohio, Ivan Sugg had a successful four-decade training career highlighted by a memorable 2003 season.

Sugg was first exposed to harness racing when he was 10 years old and fell in love with the sport while helping his father on the farm. He has been around horses ever since and has worked with them throughout the country.

Sugg’s love of horses and harness racing continued to grow as he got older, and he started driving and training shortly after he graduated from high school. He experienced early success with Glad Rags in the 1960s and began to race in other states, including Illinois, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey. [More...]

Charles “Chuck” Sylvester has trained some of harness racing’s biggest superstars, including multiple Hambletonian winners.

Sylvester was born on June 18, 1940, in Toledo, Ohio, and was first introduced to harness racing as a freshman at Bowling Green State University. By his sophomore year, he dropped out of college to help his father train horses. He campaigned at Raceway Park and Detroit-area tracks in the mid-1960s.

During his career, Sylvester has trained such notable champions as Britelite Lobell, Waikiki Beach, Armbro Devona, Laughs, and Park Avenue Joe, and he will forever be linked to Mack Lobell. [More...]

Henry “Hank” Thomson served as head of Ohio’s Delaware County Fair and teamed with fellow Hall of Famer and friend Joseph Neville to co-found The Little Brown Jug, which has grown into harness racing’s premier pacing classic for 3-year-olds.

During his many years' association with harness racing, Thomson served in several leadership and executive capacities, including The Little Brown Jug Society and the Grand Circuit. He was president of the Ohio Fair Managers Association and was one of the founders of the Pacing Triple Crown.

Born in 1908, Thomson was raised in Delaware, Ohio. He had no experience in the sport of harness racing prior to his relationship with the Delaware County Fair. [More...]

Now a pacing classic, the Little Brown Jug owes much of its success to the efforts of Walter “Tom” Thomson, who served as president of The Little Brown Jug Society.

Born in 1938, Thomson lived in Delaware, Ohio, his entire life. Following in the footsteps of his father, Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Famer Henry “Hank” Thomson, he guided the Jug toward the 21st century, modernizing the event without losing its quaint, country-fair charm and rich tradition. Associated with the Delaware County Fair since he was 16 years old, he became director of racing in 1973 and began overseeing everything that has made the Jug one of the most recognizable sporting events in the world.

In the 1980s, Thomson was instrumental in modernizing the fair’s wagering system. [More...]

Martin “Marty” Wollam put together an illustrious five-decade career as a trainer and driver in harness racing and was no stranger to the winner’s circle in Ohio Sires Stakes Championship events.

Wollam was born on June 12, 1949, and began his Standardbred career at 16 years old in 1965 working for Forrest Short. He went on to record 1,936 training victories with over $15.8 million in earnings to go with 1,152 wins and more than $5.7 million in earnings as a driver. Along the way, he collected 12 OSS Championships with such standouts as Full Count, Count Me in, Doink N Doni, Contessa Leigh, and Neely's Messenger. [More...]