From a Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association release
The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s 29th Annual National Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, September 5 at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Ky. The TOBA National Awards Dinner honors the achievements of Thoroughbred owners in the four major North American racing regions and breeders in 22 states and Canada.
The following regional owners will be honored:
- Eastern Region Owner of the Year: Phipps Stable
- Midwestern Region Owner of the Year: Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey
- Southern Region Owner of the Year: Willis D. Horton
- Western Region Owner of the Year: Gary & Mary West
A National Owner of the Year will be selected from these regional owners. The National Owner will be revealed at the Awards Dinner.
The state and Canadian breeders of the year are:
Arizona: Richard Owens
California: Mr. & Mrs. Larry D. Williams
Canada: Sam-Son Farm
Florida: Gil & Marilyn Campbell
Illinois: Darrell & Sadie Brommer
Indiana: Deann & Greg Baer
Iowa: William Hobbs
Kansas: Lance & Valerie Gabriel
Kentucky: Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey
Louisiana: Glen C. Warren
Maryland: Robert E. Meyerhoff
Michigan: Jerry & Lisa Campbell
Minnesota: Richard Bremer & Cheryl Sprick
New Jersey: Quiet Winter Farm
New Mexico: Mike Carson & Bill Carson
New York: Patricia S. Purdy
North Carolina: Elizabeth H. Muirhead
North Dakota: Leigh Backhaus
Oregon: George Hurliman
South Carolina: Franklin G. Smith
Texas: Sam Stevens & Sammy Stevens
Virginia: Estate of Edward P. Evans
Washington: Keith & Jan Swagerty
TOBA’s National Breeder and National Small Breeder of the Year will be selected from the above list of breeders and announced at the Awards Dinner.
TOBA will also honor Helen Alexander with the new Robert N. Clay Award. The purpose of this award is to enhance awareness and promote education among horsemen regarding the impact of land loss on the equine community. In partnership with the Equine Land Conservation Resource, this award recognizes a member of the Thoroughbred community who has made an outstanding contribution to preserving land for equine use.
Additionally, TOBA will honor Take Charge Lady as the National Broodmare of the Year. This award offers catalog designation from the North American International Cataloguing Standards Committee.
Owned by Katie Ruppel, successful competitive eventer Houdini will be named the Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Sport Horse of the Year. This award is presented to the owner of the ex-Thoroughbred racehorse that has excelled in sport horse competitions as tracked by the United States Equestrian Federation.
