DON DOVE – 2016 Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductee A highly successful trainer-driver, Don Dove had something that most colleagues never had – his own sire. After making his mark early on as a driver, Don began training and driving the progeny of Dignus, a grand-son of Light Brigade he had purchased. Many of its 57 winners he trained and drove himself. The most memorable of these of course was his best-ever pacer, a 1966 colt he named Monara. It won successive A. G. Hunter Cups in 1973 and 74, and many other races – so often with this brilliant beginner going to the lead and then Don playing cat-and-mouse tactics out in front before dashing this son of Dignus away and holding off all comers. Those who may remember the 1972 Inter Dominion Final when Don was having a little holiday, will agree Monara was something beaten into second place that night. Don won many races on his brother Eric’s trotter Just Money, along with Nelson’s Report, Lauries Legacy and Kara Miss, and filled in well when winning the 1965 Warragul Cup driving the great little Macaree, and the 1967 Victoria Derby driving Kelly Kid. When the Victorian Trainers and Drivers Association formed in 1968, he was elected to its first committee. Don is also the father of Trevor and Stephen, both well known horsemen of a few seasons back. In retirement, Don Dove moved to Queensland in 1998 and it was there he passed away in 2014 at the age of 86.Yellow, with green crossed sashesdon dove, d dove, monara, amlin, bendigo harness racing club, bhrc, bendigo, horses, race colours, trotting, pacing, harness racing, dv dove

Dick Lee is a prolific Group 1 winning trainer and driver, successful breeder and owner, International and trotting pioneer, outstanding administrator and tireless volunteer. Dick Lee, son of a soldier-settler was a track ranger at the Melbourne Showgrounds before accepting a position as a private trainer in the emerging trotting industry in Wales, taking a team of horses to the UK where he had 105 drives for 29 wins. The adventure would also see him compete in Holland, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Russia and the US, always with trotters. He returned to Australia in 1970 with “a wife, a trainer-driver premiership, half-a-dozen miniature Irish donkeys and a horse in tow”. The horse, Hermes, would sire 1976 Melbourne Cup winner Van Der Hum. Dick served 12 years as president of the Victorian Square Trotters Association to advocate for the gait. Emerging from this time are: 1985 The Redwood Classic for 2yo trotters 1996 the first all-trotting card, the Redwood Day at Maryborough. Dick Lee’s training and driving produced among others: Bendigo and Melbourne Pacing Cups winner Rhodonite Australian Trotters of the Year Hampdens Pride and Game Ebony V L Dullard Cup winners Glenfield Girl and Game Ebony Rufus Youngblood, whose racing career included 32 wins, 23 seconds and 18 thirds from 139 starts, the first Australian-bred horse to win four Derbies and Australian Horse of the Year in 1987. Dick Lee was inducted into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2019White race colours with purple triangle pointing upbendigo, bendigo cup, lord's raceway, dick lee, rhodonite, bendigo harness racing club, bhrc, race colour, hall of fame, ir (dick) lee, ir lee