Michael Francis Rowland (September 12, 1963 – February 9, 2004) was an American jockey.
[2] Rowland died at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio from head injuries suffered during a race on February 4 at Turfway Park, when his mount broke down and collapsed.
[3][4] The inaugural award recipient was Luis Antonio Gonzalez, a jockey based at Thistledown Racecourse near Cleveland.
[4] Thistledown racecourse also started a memorial fund for the Rowland family.
In 2006, Rowland was posthumously inducted into the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.