Harness: Billy Herman elected to the Ohio Hall of Fame

Billy Herman, noted Grand Circuit driver/trainer, has been elected as the 52nd member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame by a vote of the members of the Ohio Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA).

Herman was born on February 21, 1940, in Frankfort, Ohio, and grew up in Good Hope. He developed a love for horses at a young age while riding his pony to school and cleaning stalls at the Washington Court House fairgrounds. His passion for harness racing led him to compete at Ohio fairs and raceways, where he honed his skills and gained valuable experience.

In the 1970s, Billy made a bold move to leave his hometown and moved to Roosevelt/Yonkers to pursue his career. In 1972, he relocated to South Florida to work as the second trainer for renowned horseman George Sholty. When Sholty was injured in 1976, Billy took over as the primary driver for the stable and continued to achieve success.

He moved to Ben White Raceway to train for Hanover Shoe Farms before branching out with his own stable.

During his career Billy trained and drove numerous champion horses, winning the Kentucky Futurity with Noble Rogue and Texas. He won the Kentucky Filly Futurity three times and the Hambletonian Oaks with Cora T. He also claimed victories in the Woodrow Wilson, the Jugette, and he won top races with Scarlet Skipper and Franz Hanover.

He is probably best remembered for the great filly Toy Poodle, a multiple Dan Patch Award winner. As this year’s Proximity Award winner Bill O’Donnell recalls, “He had some really great horses, but the first that comes to mind is Toy Poodle. She had to race against the boys a lot of the time—and she beat them.”

Records for at least the first two decades of his career were not documented, but as a driver, Billy Herman amassed well over 1,400 career wins and earned exponentially more than the $10 million in purse that is reflected in his USTA statistics.

Throughout his career, Billy was known as an all-around horseman, respected trainer, and skilled driver who left a lasting impact on the harness racing community. As Chuck Sylvester sums up, “We all wanted him to drive our horses. He was a very good driver—very easy on a horse, and incredibly patient. That really stood out.”

Herman will be honored at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association’s annual banquet on Saturday, January 10 at the Renaissance Westerville.