Wisconsin Hall of Fame Welcomes Crafty Sailor
The Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame is managed by the Wisconsin Harness Racing Association and has four categories for nominations and inductions: Living, Immortal, Equine and Family. For a horse to be inducted into the Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame, a horse must have achieved some success, either during their racing career or in stud and must have performed exceptionally when compared to other horses in Wisconsin. The latest member of the harness racing community to be bestowed with induction honor is Crafty Sailor.
The Wisconsin Harness Racing Association will be hosting their awards evening and inducting winners into the Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame on the 17th of January 2009. This star studded evening will be taking place at the Howard Johnson Hotel, located in Madison, and is expected to draw the elite of the harness racing industry.
After eleven successful years in the racing industry, owner, driver and trainer of Crafty Sailor, David Carter, made the decision to retire his horse at the age of fourteen in 2007. When a horse has achieved as much as Crafty Sailor has, there is no need to keep racing him, as he has already proved himself ten times over. Crafty Sailor was not only well known in Wisconsin, but across the United States. He has competed in a variety of events that gained him a strong following of loyal fans and nicknames such as “The Horse with the Iron Legs” and “Ancient Mariner”.
His professionalism, courage, determination and strength were marveled at during his racing career, and on his retirement Crafty Sailor had created a legacy that is now being honored through his induction into the Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame. He is part of the prestigious “Century Club”, as he has won a hundred and seven of his three hundred and thirty starts and has also banked over $130 000 in career earnings. Many of the records he set still stand today, being named the Trotter of the Year five times, having two articles written about him in the magazine Hoof Beats and winning the James Laird Memorial Award For Excellence in the year 2004, together with his owner.
Together with his human counterparts, Richard and Joan Gilbertson and the DeLong Family, this mighty horse and harness racing legend will take his rightful place in the history books of harness racing and of Wisconsin.
