Tom
Charters Steps Down After 20 Years of Service; John Campbell Elected
President of Hambletonian Society.
John Campbell, a
Hambletonian Society director since 1992 and harness racing’s leading
money-winning driver of all time, was recently elected president and chief
executive officer (CEO) of the Society in a unanimous vote of the board of
directors at winter board meeting of the Hambletonian Society, held March
12 in Boca Raton, Florida.
He replaces current
president Tom Charters effective July 1, 2017.
Campbell will fulfill his
driving commitments through June of this year.
“I want to thank the
Hambletonian Society for their support and confidence in this new and exciting
opportunity,” said Campbell. “It
is a challenge that I am looking forward to.
“I would also like to thank
and commend Tom Charters for all his years of service. I have worked with Tom
on various projects over the years and have tremendous respect for his opinion
and passion for harness racing. I have sought his advice many times over the
years and will continue to do so moving forward.
“He has worked tirelessly
for the betterment of our sport, many times in the background, not receiving
the credit that was his due,” Campbell emphasized.
“Going forward, I will be reaching out to
all facets of our industry, encouraging them to make decisions that are in the
best interest of our sport. We have our issues and problems, no question,
but I believe very strongly that from a betting and entertainment point of view
our sport can be relevant and attractive.”
Tom Charters, the current
president and CEO of the Hambletonian Society, had informed the board last
August of his intent to cut back on his schedule. He will step down as
president, a position he has held since 1998. He will remain on staff through
the Breeders Crown at Hoosier Park in October and on the Society board as a
director.
The Hambletonian Society is
a not-for-profit organization which supports and encourages the breeding of
Standardbred horses by sponsoring and administering stakes and other special
events in harness racing. The Society was founded in 1924 to organize the
Hambletonian Stake, one of 37 races it currently owns, and one of the 131
stakes events it oversees. These races are some of the richest and most
prestigious racing events across North America, held at 14 different
racetracks, involving the processing of more than 51,700 individual payments
totaling $11.6 million and responsible for the disbursement of more than $14.8
million in purses.
No active driver or jockey
has amassed more purse money than John Campbell. His career earnings top $299
million from more than 10,600 victories in his four decades of driving. He has
led all North American drivers in earnings 16 times and has won every major
race in the sport - including a record six Hambletonians – at least once.
His remarkable career on the
racetrack saw him elected to the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1990 at age 35,
the youngest person so honored and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in
1987. He was voted Stanley F. Bergstein-Proximity Achievement Award Winner in
2012; voted U.S. Harness Writers Driver of the Year in 2006 and W. R. Haughton
Good Guy in 2002; the Harness Horse Youth Foundation Service To Youth honoree
in 2003; awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for his commitment to harness racing
by the Governor General of Canada in 2000 and is president of the Grand Circuit
and a director of the Little Brown Jug Society.
Charters was originally
hired by the Society in 1984 to guide the newly created Breeders Crown
championship series.
“I am proud of what the Society has
accomplished over the last three decades, especially in sponsoring the two
preeminent events in harness racing, the $1 million Hambletonian and the $6
million Breeders Crown,” said Charters.
“I believe this is the perfect opportunity for
the Society. John’s accomplishments on the race track are beyond compare and
his knowledge and broad grasp of the traditions of the sport and the current
day challenges of the industry will be of enormous benefit to the Society.
“I look forward to continuing to work with
John, as he has provided valuable counsel in past matters, and his leadership
qualities and the industry-wide respect he commands represent make him a unique
choice for the Society.
“The timing is right,” concluded Charters.
