HARRISBURG PA – Ken Weingartner, Media Relations Manager for
the United States Trotting Association and a 2019 electee into the
Communicators Hall of Fame, has been named Member of the Year of the United
States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) by a committee of former winners of
the award.
“I can think of no one more
deserving than Ken Weingartner to be named USHWAn of the Year,” said Kim
Rinker, USHWA President. "Ken is reticent to toot his own horn, but
has provided help and exposure a thousand times over for countless members of
the harness racing community. He truly is a standout member of our
organization."
Weingartner first went to the harness races with his father
“before I could walk,” and upon returning to his native New Jersey after
college and early newspaper work, his harness racing stories attracted the
attention of the USTA, and Weingartner worked for the organization to the title
he holds today. Ken writes feature stories along with previews and
reviews of major races, and also is the point man for the weekly Top Ten
ranking of star equines.
For USHWA, Weingartner, entering his twentieth year of
membership in the organization, serves as the secretary of his New Jersey
Chapter. He also serves as the Webmaster of the group’s online site (usharnesswriters.com).
Ken has been a longtime chairman of the Broadcasters Awards committee, which
yearly honors outstanding journalism, and a co-chair of the Clyde Hirt Workshop
Committee, which exposes budding communicators to promulgating the sport during
Hambletonian Week.
In addition to his election to the Communicators Hall of
Fame, Weingartner has been honored with the Allen Finkelson Golden Pen Award
for excellence in harness racing publicity, and also by Harness Horsemen
International.
Ken Weingartner will be honored at USHWA’s Dan Patch Night
of Champions Awards Banquet, to be held on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the
Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando FL. Those wishing to take out a congratulatory
ad in the Souvenir Journal should contact Lynne Myers at myerslex@yahoo.com;
sponsorship opportunities can be explored with Shawn Wiles at swiles@empireresorts.com.
For tickets for the Awards Banquet, contact Judy Davis-Wilson at zoe8874@aol.com;
to book rooms at the Rosen Shingle Creek, go to the USHWA website, where in the
middle of the first page is a link directly into their reservations computer.
