Canadian equestrianism, in all its forms, is enjoying more popularity and wider global attention than ever before. In part, that is through the power of the internet, making every event available to a wider audience. It has also led to a huge resurgence in the popularity of harness racing. For newly crowned Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover, the timing could not be better.
Tips on every type of racing
The internet provides the answers to most questions in modern day life, and for those with a passion for betting on equestrian sports, there has never been a greater wealth of information. The tipsters at Racing Bets provide up to the minute Canadian race tips for fans who are local and international, experts and beginners. They have singled out harness racing as one of the biggest growth sectors, with a rapidly growing fanbase.
Why so popular?
There are so many conventional horse races across the globe that in the modern internet age, punters can literally go from one meeting to the next, day after day. Harness racing brings a new type of excitement, and is something that is seldom seen in areas such as Western Europe – in particular, it is practically non-existent in the UK.
Online streaming and the ability to bet online regardless of location have opened the eyes of a new global audience, and they just can’t get enough.
Horse of the year
This is the world in which Hannelore Hanover has come to prominence. So what did she do to be named Horse of the Year and also to be awarded the prestigious Older Trotting Mare of the Year award at this year’s O’Brien Awards Black Tie Gala in Mississauga? The answer is simple – she consistently proved herself to be head and shoulders above the rest, winning 10 of her 17 races last season, worth more than $1.1 million in purse money. In an unparalleled display of equine girl power, she scored victories against her male rivals in both the elimination and the final of the Breeders Crown Open Trot, not to mention the Maple Leaf Trot and the Allerage. Just to add the icing on the cake, she also became only the second horse in history to successfully defend the Armbro Flight.
Trainer Mickey Burke was clearly feeling the emotion as he accepted the award. He told the waiting press: ““It means a lot. She’s special. She went five-for-five up here this year and beat the boys doing it. There’s not much more you can say about her than that. It’s just been a great year for her and it’s a big deal for us.”
Where next?
There is little time to reflect on past glory, and Hannelore Hanover is already in training for the year ahead. Burke said that all is going to schedule and the plan is for her to enter one or two minor races before the new season gets underway in earnest at Miami Valley.
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