History of the Indiana Standardbred Hall Of Fame

The Indiana Standardbred Hall Of Fame was created in 1986, under the direction of Dr. Lawrence Borst, then president of the Indiana Trotting and Pacing Horse Association.  Beginning in the Fall of that year and every year since, horses and/or people have been inducted into the Hall at the annual Indiana harness horse awards banquet.  These inductees are worthy, through their ties to Indiana and for achievements in the harness horse industry.

The history of Indiana Standardbreds is long and varied, deep if you will.  From the invention of the pacing hopples, "Indiana Pants," by John Browning of Switzerland County to the current world's racing scene, Indiana represents the hub around which harness racing turns. 

Since the 1800s, a circuit of half-mile track county fairs culminating with the famous mile track meeting at the Indiana State Fair, have provided the training grounds for trotters, pacers, and drivers destined to be etched in the annals of greatness.  

Horses such as the world's fastest pacer, Nihilator (Logansport); leading money-winning sire, Abercrombie (Indianapolis); and The Horse That God Loved, Rambling Willie (Monroeville) all have strong Hoosier roots.  The ghosts of immortals such as Axtell, Greyhound, Nancy Hanks, Peter The Great, and Sidney Dillon still roam their former haunts of Indiana soil.

The opening of Hoosier Park at Anderson in 1994 and Indiana Downs in 2002 has breathed new life into the racing stables and breeding farms across the state.  The pari-mutuel facilities and their off-track betting sites have created racing opportunities and lucrative purses for all classes of horses, including a growing sires stakes program.

The Indiana Standardbred Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving this grand and glorious heritage of Hoosier harness racing.  Individuals wishing to make nominations for inductees should prepare a brief, printed outline of the human or equine accomplishments and submit it to the Indiana Standardbred Hall of Fame.  Donations of memorabilia and artifacts are also welcome.

Do Not Reproduce Without Written Permission from Hoosier Hoofprints.