Herman was born on February 21, 1940 in Frankfort, Ohio, and grew up in Good Hope. He developed a love of horses at an early 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 fairs and racetracks in Ohio, where he honed his skills and gained valuable experience.
In the 1970s, Billy made the bold move to leave his hometown and move to Roosevelt/Yonkers to further his career. In 1972, he moved to South Florida to work as a second trainer for famed horseman George Sholty. When Sholty was injured in 1976, Billy took over as the stable’s primary driver and continued to enjoy success.
He moved to Ben White Raceway to train for Hanover Shoe Farms before leaving with his own stable.
During his career, Billy trained and rode numerous champion horses, winning the Kentucky Futurity with Noble Rogue and Texas. He won the Kentucky Filly Futurity and the Hambletonian Oaks three times with Cora T. He also claimed victories in the Woodrow Wilson, the Jugette, and 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 Bill O’Donnell, winner of this year’s Proximity Award, recalls: “He had some really great horses, but the first one that comes to mind is Toy Poodle. She often had to race the boys – and she beat them.”
Records for at least the first two decades of his career are undocumented, but as a driver Billy Herman racked up well over 1,400 career victories and earned exponentially more than the $10 million purse reflected in his USTA stats.
Throughout his career, Billy was known as an all-around rider, respected trainer and accomplished driver who left a lasting impact on the harness racing community. As Chuck Sylves summarizes, “We all wanted him to drive our horses. He was a very good driver, very easy with 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, Jan. 10, at the Renaissance Westerville.
of the USHWA Ohio Chapter
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