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Winners of the Ken Cohoe Trophy are a special breed.
The award is handed out annually to the province's top horseperson and honorees have a lifelong personal involvement in the thoroughbred industry and to horse racing, in general.
Usually, you will find an owner, breeder or trainer's name etched on the trophy.
Not this year.
Rennie Gellner has been associated with thoroughbreds in Alberta for the past 39 years -- the last 19 as manager of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Alberta Division) looking after the interests of Alberta breeders.
The former Regina Pats Junior B hockey player from Southey, Sask., has served notice he is hanging up his saddle and retiring in September. He has already purchased his new home in Kimberley, B.C.
Being named Horseperson of the Year last weekend gives him one more memory to cherish from an industry to which he has dedicated four decades of his life.
"I was pretty shocked and very surprised when they announced me as the winner," said Gellner.
"I had been under the impression the award was going to Dr. (David) Reid, the head of Horse Racing Alberta, and I had told the media that and even had the trophy engraved with his name on it. My wife didn't even know. It was a total surprise."
Gellner's involvement with Alberta thoroughbreds began in 1968 when he started working for Baron Von Maffei.
He spent 12 years with the owner before moving to Elmbrook Stables for another six years.
Gellner owned his own farm in Spruce Grove and was a director of CTHS when Dick Milburn decided to pack it in, in 1988. Gellner was asked to fill his shoes and he has remained in that office ever since.
"By the time I got there in 1988, we had gone through some great times in the 1970s but casinos and slot machines were introduced to Alberta by the time the 1990s rolled around and our industry went into a serious decline thanks to the extra gambling competition," said Gellner.
"We were no longer the only betting game in town and we lost fans, money and, in turn, many owners walked away and the quality of our industry went down."
Gellner is one of the men who has helped grab horse racing by the boot straps and pull it back out of that funk.
"When I started, we had one $100,000 sales stake for colts and one for fillies," said Gellner.
"Now we have six $50,000 sales stakes for Alberta-bred horses. Jim Thompson, John Fowlis and I worked to create the Fall Classic as a showcase of Alberta talent each year. This October will be its 11th year with over $400,000 in purse money.
"It has turned into the second-biggest thoroughbred racing day in Alberta for wagering and attendance."
Gellner's other major accomplishment was establishing the breed improvement program that offers bonuses to breeders who develop homegrown talent that competes at the highest levels in Alberta.
"We have rebounded to the point now that, in 2006, we came just under $5 million from equalling the best wagering year on thoroughbreds ever in Alberta," said Gellner.
Gellner, 71, said it will be tough to walk away on that final day. "I had a little help in making my decision to retire. My wife and family felt it was time to put the books aside and start to enjoy my life more," he said.
SIZZLING STAKES
Nominations closed Wednesday for the next two stake races and interest is running high for both.
The 30th running of the Stampede Park Sprint Championship -- for four-year-old-and-up colts -- has 20 horses hoping to get in for the April 28 race.
Only 10 will make it.
The impressive list includes Teague's Fight, the winner of last weekend's Sales Stake.
He won four of eight races and has finished first in four straight stake races dating back to last September.
Also hoping to get in is True Metropolitan, the Vancouver-based winner of seven stake races last year, who was crowned Alberta's horse of the year and champion four-year-old-and-up horse.
The 22nd running of the M.R. Jenkins Memorial for fillies and mares four and older had 14 horses nominated to race April 29.
Among them: Braetta, Alberta's champion older mare last year; Certainly Regal, also trained by Don Gilkyson; and She's Italian, Alberta's champion three-year-old filly last year.