Jodie Cullen named O’Brien finalist after a record season

A sizzling year on the track has propelled former Glenboro resident Jodie Cullen into the national spotlight, as the standardbred horse trainer has been named one of three finalists for the coveted O’Brien Standardbred Trainer of the Year Award.
The announcement was made as part of the 37th annual O’Brien Awards Gala, which honours exceptional performances from the 2025 racing season.

“I can’t put into words what an honour this is. It’s the most prestigious award in harness racing,” said Cullen, smiling broadly.
And grinning she should be. Being named an O’Brien Award finalist places Cullen among the very best in Canadian harness racing, a distinction earned through consistency, long hours, careful horse development and results at the sport’s highest level. It is a league few ever reach, making the recognition especially meaningful for a trainer whose journey began in Glenboro and has been shaped by a lifetime spent on the harness racing circuit, learning the values of hard work and dedication.

Now based in Dundas, Ontario, Cullen delivered the most impressive season of her career, leading all Canadian trainers with 222 wins and more than $3 million in purse earnings. The total surpassed her previous career best and firmly established her as one of the sport’s elite trainers.

A highlight of her championship calibre year was the performance of Nasey, a six-year-old trotter she conditions, who earned a spot as an O’ Brien Award finalist in the Older Trotting Horse Division. Nasey won the $100,000 Earl Rowe stake at Georgian Downs for aged trotter. Cullen also has trained other six-figure earners in 2025, including Tells on A Roll, Glenboro, Blue Hunt, and Pacino Hanover, highlighting the depth and strength of her stable.

Her success is attributed largely to her skill in developing horses throughout varied conditions and distances, and veteran followers of the sport say her rise has no luck involved. Relentless training, sharp horsemanship, and a knack for getting the best out of the horses, Jodie looks poised to stay among Canada’s elite trainers for years to come.

She chalks up her success to consistency, team work adding, “Putting the horse first every step of the way made 2025 a record year for me. I’m training some very talented horses that race for high purses and they raced unbelievably well all year!”

“I can’t take all the credit, my husband, Ron, helps exercise the horses every day and is the main care taker of our brood mares. Our son, Travis, is the blacksmith and our driver. He spends countless hours shoeing them. And we also have a handful of grooms that work for us. Our stable consists of 45-60 horses year round.”

When asked what her favourite part of race day is, what gets her heart racing, she replied quickly, “Standing in the winners circle is rewarding but the race is what really gets my adrenaline up!”

She is also looking forward to next season, “We have a couple of young colts training well so far. It’s super exciting when a home bred shows well at Woodbine Mohawk Park which is Canada’s most dominant track.”

Although it has been a decade since Ron and Jodie Cullen, along with their children Travis and Ashleigh, relocated from Glenboro to Dundas to further their careers in harness racing, their ties to home remain strong. Cullen’s mare Glenboro enjoyed a standout season, earning six figures, while her brother Blue Bar also posted solid results on the track. The Cullens are also optimistic about the potential of two-year-old Apples Esso, who is showing early promise heading into the season.

The surnames Cullen and Manning have long been synonymous with harness racing in this area, and Jodie smiles as she shares that it was her father, George Manning, who first introduced her to the sport. That introduction quickly grew into a shared family passion; one she pursued alongside her brother, Greg, a trainer and blacksmith, and her sister, Debbie McLeod, who followed the circuit as a trainer and driver before later serving as a presiding judge in Alberta.

Now Jodie is carrying that legacy onto the national stage. From Glenboro roots to Canada’s top tracks, the Cullens continue to prove that hard work, dedication, and family support are a winning combination and a formula that has made them a name to watch in harness racing for years to come.

PHOTO CAPTION: Standardbred horse trainer Jodie Cullen with Pipewrench Charlie. Jodie was beyond honoured to be one of three nominees for the O’Brien Trainer of the Year Award for 2025.