The Australian Harness Horse of the Year is an honour that recognises the top harness racing

Harness racing

Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...

 horse in the Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The award is selected by industry people and media representatives.

The inaugural award was won in 1976 by Don't Retreat, a New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 pacer who won 14 of his 24 starts in the 1975-1976 season for a total of $122,415.
The first and only trotter

Trotter

Trotter may refer to:* Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad - Fictional Trotter Family from BBC sictom Only Fools and Horses* Clan Trotter, a lowland Scottish family* Trotter, a horse trained for harness racing* Italian Trotter, a breed of horse...

 to win the award was Maori's Idol

Maori's Idol

Maori’s Idol was an Australian Standardbred racehorse. He was the first Australian trotter to break two minutes with a time of 1:59.3 on 19 November 1977 at Moonee Valley. Maori’s Idol became one of Australia's greatest trotters, with a record 24 successive race victories before placing in the...

 in 1978, a season in which he won 22 of his 24 starts. The first three year old to win the award was a year later in 1979, when Run Joe Run won the award, since then a three year old has won the award three times. The youngest horse to win the award was Lombo Pocket Watch

Lombo Pocket Watch

Lombo Pocket Watch is a champion Australian grey Standardbred colt foaled on 16 October 2003 bred and raced by Western Australian owner Mick Lombardo, and was primarily trained near Cawdor by Paul Fitzpatrick, with son Gavin Fitzpatrick the regular driver....

 who won as a two year old in 2006.

The two horses that has won the most awards are Westburn Grant, who won the award in 1989 as a three year old and again in 1991 and 1992, and Our Sir Vancelot

Our Sir Vancelot

Our Sir Vancelot is a New Zealand, standardbred stallion. Known as Sir Vancelot in New Zealand, he won a record three straight Inter Dominion finals, 1997, 1998 and 1999...

, who won the 1997, 1998 and 1999 awards.

Past winners

Horses that have been crowned Australian Harness Horse of the Year are:

Year	Horse
2011	Smoken Up (NZ)
2010	Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake is a brown Standardbred gelding that won the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 Inter Dominion Championships, making him the only four-time winner of Australasia's premier harness race. He finished second, beaten by a long neck, in the 2009 Inter Dominion to Mr Feelgood...
2009	Mr Feelgood Mr Feelgood Mr Feelgood is a high-class Standardbred racehorse. He is the only pacer in recent years to win major races in both North America and Australia....  (USA)
2008	Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake is a brown Standardbred gelding that won the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 Inter Dominion Championships, making him the only four-time winner of Australasia's premier harness race. He finished second, beaten by a long neck, in the 2009 Inter Dominion to Mr Feelgood...
2007	Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake Blacks A Fake is a brown Standardbred gelding that won the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 Inter Dominion Championships, making him the only four-time winner of Australasia's premier harness race. He finished second, beaten by a long neck, in the 2009 Inter Dominion to Mr Feelgood...
2006	Lombo Pocket Watch Lombo Pocket Watch Lombo Pocket Watch is a champion Australian grey Standardbred colt foaled on 16 October 2003 bred and raced by Western Australian owner Mick Lombardo, and was primarily trained near Cawdor by Paul Fitzpatrick, with son Gavin Fitzpatrick the regular driver....	2 Year Old
2005	Sokyola (NZ)
2004	Sokyola (NZ)
2002	Smooth Satin
2003	Double Identity
2001	Atitagain (NZ)
2000	Shakamaker
1999	Our Sir Vancelot Our Sir Vancelot Our Sir Vancelot is a New Zealand, standardbred stallion. Known as Sir Vancelot in New Zealand, he won a record three straight Inter Dominion finals, 1997, 1998 and 1999...  (NZ)
1998	Our Sir Vancelot Our Sir Vancelot Our Sir Vancelot is a New Zealand, standardbred stallion. Known as Sir Vancelot in New Zealand, he won a record three straight Inter Dominion finals, 1997, 1998 and 1999...  (NZ)
1997	Our Sir Vancelot Our Sir Vancelot Our Sir Vancelot is a New Zealand, standardbred stallion. Known as Sir Vancelot in New Zealand, he won a record three straight Inter Dominion finals, 1997, 1998 and 1999...  (NZ)
1996	Sunshine Band
1995	Golden Reign
1994	Weona Warrior
1993	Jack Morris (NZ)
1992	Westburn Grant
1991	Westburn Grant
1990	Thorate
1989	Westburn Grant	3 Year Old
1988	Village Kid Village Kid Village Kid is a musical group based in Perth, Australia.The group has released one E.P. Colourful Girl in July 2010, recorded with vocalist Aaron Malone with producer Anthony Cormican . The E.P. generally received favourable reviews. In September 2010, the title track from this E.P. was awarded...
1987	Rufus Young Blood	3 Year Old
1986	Village Kid Village Kid Village Kid is a musical group based in Perth, Australia.The group has released one E.P. Colourful Girl in July 2010, recorded with vocalist Aaron Malone with producer Anthony Cormican . The E.P. generally received favourable reviews. In September 2010, the title track from this E.P. was awarded...
1985	Preux Chevalier
1984	Gammalite Gammalite Gammalite was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins....
1983	Popular Alm Popular Alm Popular Alm was an Australian bred Standardbred pacer. He was one of the fastest pacers Australia has produced, running exceptional times over many distances. Popular Alm set a world record for a mile time trial at Moonee Valley on 13 May 1983, running 1:53.2...
1982	Gammalite Gammalite Gammalite was an Australian bred Standardbred racehorse who was the first Standardbred to win A$1 million in Australia. He was regarded as one of Australia's most successful pacers with 16 Group one wins....
1981	San Simeon
1980	Pure Steel Pure Steel Pure Steel is the only pacer to win the A G Hunter Cup, a race over 3,050 metres and the richest handicap race for pacers in the world, three times, in 1977, 1978 and 1980. He was the first Standardbred horse to win A$500,000 in Australia. Pure Steel also won the WA Benson & Hedges Cup four times...
1979	Run Joe Run	3 Year Old
1978	Maori's Idol Maori's Idol Maori’s Idol was an Australian Standardbred racehorse. He was the first Australian trotter to break two minutes with a time of 1:59.3 on 19 November 1977 at Moonee Valley. Maori’s Idol became one of Australia's greatest trotters, with a record 24 successive race victories before placing in the...	Trotter
1977	Paleface Adios Paleface Adios Paleface Adios was an Australian harness racing horse which competed as a pacer throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. He raced from 1972 to 1981, when there was top competition from the likes of the Hondo Grattan, Robalan and Pure Steel.He was a chestnut Standardbred pacer with a white blaze and...
1976	Don't Retreat