Orange, Ottley and Dalgety make Rural Sports Awards finals

Harness racing will be represented by three finalists at the 2025 Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards in Palmerston North on Friday, March 7.

The country's top driver Blair Orange has made the cut for the PTS Logistics New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year, the record-breaking Sam Ottley is a finalist for the RX Plastics New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year and Next Gen driver Carter Dalgety is a finalist for Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year.

Orange secured his seventh consecutive Drivers' Premiership with 196 wins and over $3.5m in stakes in 2024, while Ottley became the first woman to drive 100 winners in  a 12 month season. She's also the first and only female to have driven 800 winners in this country. 

Dalgety had a stellar 2024. He became the fastest junior driver to reach 100 career wins and after winning a scholarship he travelled to North America where he won a number of races including a treble in Philadelphia. On returning home he then secured two Group 1 victories with Republican Party in the Invercargill and Auckland Cups.

There are three finalists in each of the categories.

To see the media release for the Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards click here