Harness: Chris Tully named 2026 Tom White Media Award winner

The Little Brown Jug and the Delaware County Fair have selected veteran photographer, publicist, and lifelong Standardbred advocate Chris Tully as the recipient of the 2026 Tom White Media Award.

Tully’s roots in harness racing are deep and extensive. The son of Harness Racing Hall of Famer Phil Tully, Chris grew up immersed in the family’s influential auction enterprises, Woodstock Stud and the Garden State Standardbred Sales Company. His early career included a landmark contribution to the industry: in 1988, working alongside the company’s catalog research and typesetting team, he helped develop the first computerized pedigree production system, eliminating the need to manually re‑keystroke documents to apply boldface type. The breakthrough became a model for modern catalog production.

Following the sale of the auction company in 1992, Tully remained hands‑on in the sport as a trainer before pursuing higher education. In the mid‑2000s, he enrolled at Sullivan County Community College and ultimately earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration. During his graduate studies, he was hired as General Manager of Goshen Historic Track, further expanding his leadership footprint within the industry.

Tully later launched his own sole proprietorship, Integrated Marketing Communications, widely known as ChrisTullyTrot.com. Through this venture, he has provided marketing and media services to dozens of Standardbred organizations, specializing in website management, social media strategy, racing and stallion photography, graphic design, advertising production, and videography. His versatility and professionalism have made him one of the sport’s most trusted creative partners.

In 2019, Tully played a pivotal role in establishing the official Little Brown Jug Facebook page. Built entirely from the ground up, the page has grown to more than 10,000 followers, becoming a central hub for fans worldwide. Over the past decade, his photography and social media recaps have become synonymous with the sport’s biggest stages, including the Little Brown Jug, Hambletonian, and Breeders Crown.

Tully’s connection to the Delaware County Fair predates his media work. As a driver, he captured the 1993 Billings Amateur Trot with Picasso Lauxmont, a moment he still describes as one of the greatest thrills of his life.

The Tom White Media Award honors individuals who elevate the visibility, understanding, and appreciation of the Little Brown Jug and the Delaware County Fair through outstanding media contributions.

Tully will be formally honored with the Tom White Media Award during a ceremony on Tuesday, September 22, at the Delaware County Fair Log Cabin.

The award commemorates the legacy of Tom White, a celebrated Hall of Fame publicist and long-time Little Brown Jug media representative, who passed away in 2019.

Past Tom White Media Award winners include Paul Ramlow (2019), Brad Schmaltz (2021) and Dean Hoffman (2022), Dave Briggs (2023), Brad Conrad (2024), and Nicole Kraft (2025).