Western Hanover was one of the most outstanding racehorses of modern times, and he has carried on that talent to his sons and daughters who have follwed in his footsteps. In 42 career starts he finished out of the money in only two starts, and won 27, with nine seconds and four thirds. When he retired in 1992 at the end of his three-year-old season, he did so as the fifth leading money-winning pacer of all time.

Western Hanover was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms of Pennsylvania and sold for $105,000 as a yearling at the Harrisburg Sale in the fall of 1990 to Chicago owner George Segal and trainer Gene Riegle, who took his time in developing the youngster.  As a result, Western Hanover would start only 14 times, but won eight of those starts, with a pair of seconds and a trio of thirds to his credit. The only time he finished off the board was when he was fifth in the Breeders Crown eliminations at Pompano Park. Western Hanover would go on to earn $697,332 at two and pace in 1:52.1, a superb enough season to earn him USTA Two-Year-Old Colt of the Year Honors for 1991.

As a three-year-old in 1992 Western Hanover had matured into an impressive pacing machine, and would this time be voted Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year. He would win an unbelievably tough six races in a row: the Cleveland Classic, the Can Pace elim and Final, the James Dancer Memorial elim and Final and the Messenger Stake. He then went in pursuit of the Triple Crown via the Little Brown Jug at Deleware, Ohio.  However, a little horse by the name of Fake Left had other ideas, and in the fourth race-off heat of the Jug, Western Hanover got nosed out for the victory by his rival. He rounded out his career with victories in the Windy City Pace elim and Final at Maywood Park, and then victories in the Provincial Cup at Widsor. He closed out the year with $1.8+ million in purse earnings, with a 19-7-1 record from 28 starts and a three-year-old mark of 1:50.4.

Western Hanover has become a notable influence on the Standardbred breed, and in only ten years (1993-2003) has sired the winners of over $74.7 million from his home at the Hanover Shoe Breeding Farm in Pennsylvania. From 921 starters, 679 have paced in 2:00 or faster, while 338 have taken records better than 1:55. He's sired 198 $100,000 winners, including Triple Crown winner and 1997 Horse of the Year Western Dreamer (from Western Hanover's first crop--almost unheard of), a winner of $1.8 million with a record of p,4,1:49.

Western Dreamer is also his richest performer and the third-fastest of all his progeny. His fastest son is Western Ideal, a winner of $1.4 million with a five-year-old mark of 1:48. His second fastest son is The Panderosa, who also won $1.4 million, with a mark of 1:49.3. As of this writing (June 28, 2004) Western Dreamer's sons were also doing well in Chicago, as Sagebrush became his fifth fastest pacing son, scoring a mark of 1:49.2 at Balmoral on Saturday, June 26.
 
Likewise, Georgia Pacific, another son of Western Hanover became his eighth fastest performer, pacing in 1:49.4 that same night in an American National elimination while just a three-year-old. Western Hanover has sired six $1 million dollar winners to date as well in 2004 (Western Dreamer, Western Ideal, The Panderosa, Tyberwood, Allamerican Ingot, and Rambarant).

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