2023 season Victorian Breeder Award winners announced
Every year we enjoy celebrating the achievements of full HBV members in the previous season, starting with the Nutrien Equine Time Excellence Awards, the Haras des Trotteurs Group One Performers, and the Metro Print Ian Daff Memorial Award for tenured service to the Victorian breeding industry, this year presented to Pat Driscoll of Yabby Dam Farms, in April.
As part of Harness Racing Victoria’s Horse of the Year event on the weekend, our three gold award winners were announced - congratulations to Paul Kahlefeldt of Redbank Lodge, Benstud Standardbreds and Ash Haynes on an oustanding 2023 season. Voted by the HBV committee through a secret vote on five options per category, the winners were assessed on the Australian results recorded by their Vicbred-eligible stock.
Perhaps best known for the exploits of Leap To Fame, Redbank Lodge had a stellar season in 2023 and even without that horse’s results (as a non-Vicbred eligible runner), the products of Paul’s breeding program saw him collect the Woodlands Stud Victorian Breeder of the Year. Of the nine Redbank-bred runners to race in 2023, Swayzee was a standout, but War Dan Buddy, Rocket Boy, Zenxena, Redbank Molly, Sahara Jewel and Bulletproof Kid all recorded wins to bring the average of his nine starters to an incredible $137,000.
The Aldebaran Park Victorian Trotting Broodmare of the Year was claimed by Ash Hayne’s Justa Phoenix who produced winners Arcee Phoenix and Querencia who between them collected over $156,000 in stakes, while the Benstud Standardbreds Victorian Pacing Broodmare of the Year was taken out, rather appropriately, by the Benstud mare Coppagoodone, the dam of Catch A Wave and Yambukian who earnt over $877,000 in 2023.
Harness Breeders Victoria also recognised members who bred Harness Racing Victoria’s 2023 Horses of the Year where they were Vicbred eligible. Twenty-seven eligible horses were nominated across the sixteen categories, with member breeders represented by the following winners with thanks to sponsors Minitube Australia, Northern Rivers Veterinary Equine Clinic, Renown Silverware and Australian Pacing Gold:
Congratulations to all the Vicbred-eligible nominees bred by 2023 HBV members:
