Tonight it is our privilege to present the Sallie B. Wheeler Distinguished Service Award. This year, our honorees have dedicated the larger part of their lives to the breeding and showing of Saddlebreds, Hackneys, and most recently Friesians.
They have been together for the past 30 years, though when they met, they were both showing hunters and jumpers. Fortunately for the Saddlebred industry, they were introduced to Saddlebreds in 1968 and began showing them along with Shetland Ponies.
Some of their more notable horses were: Bi Mi Sultan’s Wine, Bi Mi Sip-Of-Wine, Chester Drawers, Starlike Aires, Mr. Cassanova, American Wine, Monster Man, Fury, Spirit Stuff, and their most favorite of all, Flash Gordon.
Twelve years ago they bought their first Hackney pony, Ballet. Not only is Ballet their favorite pony, and accounts for seven world's championships and world's grand championships, but she is the only one they have owned, that both of them showed and won at Louisville.
Their other notable Hackneys are: Fancy Ribbons, Classical Dancer, Bristol Fashion, Trimmed In Brass, Aisle Party, Oliver Twist, Heartland High Time, Late Nite's Midnite Mist, King Creole, and one of everyone’s favorites, Hazard County.
Through the years, they have accumulated 37 world's and world's grand championships, 50 reserve world's championships, and five classic grand championships. Under the skillful guidance of several well-respected trainer such as: Arthur and Jimmy Simmons, Zelfa Corkern, Edward and Janet Bennett, Lonnie and Renee Lavery, and Pat and Jay Kennedy. Currently, and for the past eight years, myself and Denessa.
Ed has been president of the Indiana Hoosier Hackney Association for the past seven years. He is coordinator of the UPHA Golf Tournament held at Lexington, and he also is coordinator of the UPHA Live Auction held Friday night for the past three years. Ed has recently been appointed to the board of directors of the American Hackney Horse Society, just as Karen will be going off of the Hackney board this weekend and has served there for the past 3 years. Karen is head of the UPHA Hackney Pony Classic fund committee and has worked very hard raising money for those classics. She also serves as the liaison between the UPHA Board of Directors and the AHHS Board of Directors. She is in the beginning stages of putting together a museum for the Hackney Association, and chairman of the Hackney Associate Membership, both newly created this year.
Together, they have been most generous in their personal support and in donations to the Hackney Classics for the past five years. They are both members of the UPHA, the AHSA, the ASHA, the AHHS, and the ARHPA.
Also their Freisians, Abe and Jacop, have been undefeated for the past two years under saddle and in carriage driving. They won the first Friesians classes ever held at the prestigious Red Mile.
In closing, Ladies and Gentlemen, please join us along with the United Professional Horsemen Association in recognizing the recipients of the Sallie B. Wheeler Distinguished Service Award, our dear friends, Karen and Edward Frickey.