Michael C. Byrne, chairman of the Jockey Club of Canada from 1995 to 2005, has been named this year's E.P.Taylor Award of Merit winner.Richard Bonnycastle, current chair of the Jockey Club of Canada, made the announcement Dec. 2. Established in 1994, the E.P.Taylor Award of Merit is presented to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing.
Byrne was elected to the Jockey Club of Canada in 1987. He remains on several committees including the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee, of which he was instrumental in founding. The Jockey Club of Canada was founded in 1973 by E.P.Taylor to serve as the international representative of the Canadian Thoroughbred industry and to promote Thoroughbred horse racing.The E.P. Taylor Award of Merit will be presented Dec. 16 at the Wyndham Bristol Place Hotel in Toronto during the 31st Annual Sovereign Awards.