2006 Hervey Winners

A life wasted, a life lost and horse slaughter were the subjects of the articles honored with the 2006 John Hervey Award for magazine writing, it was announced by the United States Harness Writers Association.

"A Difficult Case," the story of imprisoned driver Walter Case written by Bob Carson for the July 2006 issue of Trot, was awarded first place. Second place honors went to a tribute to the late Brian Pinske entitled "The Life of Brian" by Nicole Kraft from the October 2006 issue of Hoof Beats, and third place went to an article in the June 2006 issue of Hoof Beats, "Saving Standardbreds" by Evan Pattak.

The John Hervey Awards for magazine writing offer a grand prize of $500 with $250 for second and $100 for third. The prizes, including Herveys for newspaper writing, video journalism and the Smallsreed Awards for photography, are sponsored by horse and racetrack owner Jeff Gural and are presented for excellence in the coverage of harness racing.

Judging the magazine entrants was Mark Moffa, managing editor of Unique Homes, the world's leading luxury real estate magazine, who has earned more than a dozen awards for writing, editing and design.

Of "A Difficult Case," Moffa said: "When I receive the entries for the Hervey Awards, the first thing I do is read the first few paragraphs of each story to get a feel for what each piece is about and to see how well the writer has 'hooked' me with the lead. This is the only story I absolutely could not put down. It is clearly the most well written entry. The first 12 paragraphs of a 23-paragraph story contain no quotes. Here, the writer is exposed. But he comes through, as his powerful narrative grabs the reader from the first sentence and doesn't let up until the last word.

"I was left wanting to know much more about a man I didn't even know existed before I started reading the article," Moffa explained. "This is the only entry to use the first person, but its use is limited to the beginning and end of the story, allowing the author's words -- and, eventually, the subject's words -- to tell the story. The writer uses only five quotes from Walter Case, yet the reader is provided with a picture of a great athlete imprisoned in more ways than one.

"Many of the entries were deserving of awards -- this is the best crop of entries I've seen in the last few years," Moffa noted. "But in this story, not one word is wasted."

Winning author Bob Carson of Strongville, Ohio, is a frequent contributor to Trot and Hoof Beats, and publishes Minor Trips (www.minortrips.com), an annual travel guide and newsletter for minor league baseball fans.

Moffa praised "The Life of Brian" as "crisp and easy to read, yet full of all of the details one would expect in a biography. "The story is highlighted by seamless transitions and the great use of quotes," he noted. "The author interviewed Brian's widow, mother, and a friend. The writing clearly shows that these interviews were extensive and that the author was not shy in the interview process. It is evident that quite a bit of time was spent with each of the three main sources, getting to know how this man touched each of their lives, as well as obtaining the details needed to describe Brian's life and death. But once you've conducted great interviews, you have to be able to weave them together in a way that will interest those reading the story. That mission is accomplished in "The Life of Brian."

"It takes courage to delve into the dark side of an industry, to address topics no one wants to talk about," Moffa said of "Saving Standardbreds." "This piece of investigative journalism stands apart from the rest. It tackles the issue of slaughtering Standardbreds by using available data, talking to industry experts and advocate groups, and looking at legislative developments. Most importantly, the story is well-rounded, in that it represents those who want to see an end to slaughter and those who worry about what will happen to horses if slaughter is outlawed. The urbanization of the sport is addressed as well. This thorough and informative piece raises many questions and is clearly worthy of recognition."

WITTSTRUCK WINS HERVEY NEWSPAPER AWARD

Attorney, horse owner and racing columnist Chris E. Wittstruck captured first prize in the 2006 John Hervey Awards for newspaper writing, it was announced by the United States Harness Writers Association.

Wittstruck, the author of a monthly column called Racing and the Law, which appears on ustrotting.com, won for his August 2006 effort, "Placing Your Horse? Adoption of Principles Should Come First."

Taking second-place honors was Bob Roberts of the Cleveland Plain Dealer for his October 26, 2006 article, Grandma's Spirit Rides on Horseback. Roberts was the 2003 Hervey winner.

Third prize went to Leon J. Zimmerman whose op-ed piece, VLTs At the Meadowlands Would Help State of NJ Horse Racing & Casinos, appeared in the August 28, 2006 edition of the Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey.

The John Hervey Awards for newspaper writing offer a grand prize of $500 with $250 for second and $100 for third. The prizes, including Herveys for magazine writing, video journalism and the Smallsreed Awards for photography, are sponsored by horse and racetrack owner Jeff Gural and are presented for excellence in the coverage of harness racing.

Judging the newspaper entrants was Rich Fisher, sports editor for three Princeton Packet publications and contributor to the Associated Press, Newark Star-Ledger, Trentonian and Burlington County Times."

Wittstruck, of New Hyde Park, New York, is the founder and coordinator of the Racehorse Ownership Institute at Hofstra University, New York and a charter member of the Albany Law School Racing and Gaming Law Network. He won a Hervey for magazine writing in 2005.

"Rarely would a story of this length be considered for first place, but the information and the manner it is presented was extremely informative and important," Fisher said of Wittstruck's column. "The writer takes the serious and sensitive subject of domestic horse slaughter and first explains how laws to prevent it can be sidestepped. More importantly, the writer then lays out information on how an owner can make sure the sale of their horse won't also result in its destruction. This was not breezy reading and requires some concentration due to the long paragraphs. But it was extremely informative and well researched. Pieces like this do more than fill space; they serve an important purpose."

In his article, Wittstruck puts the responsibility for horse welfare back in the hands of the owners: "Selling a horse or giving it up for adoption because you can no longer maintain it is not an irresponsible act. Blindly handing over your horse to somebody you don't know or haven't checked, without any form of writing articulating post-transfer conditions, is irresponsible and potentially deadly. The killers are everywhere, and Congress may not do much to stop them. Know what? I don't need an Act of Congress to protect my horse from slaughter. Neither do you."

Of Roberts' article, Fisher said: "The beauty of this story is its uniqueness. It's a whimsical tale about owners who feel their mare is a grandmother reincarnated. The writing is done in a humorous fashion and the story breezes along at a nice pace, while bringing a smile to the reader's face."

Zimmerman's op-ed piece also drew praise from Fisher. "The writer does a good job of pointing out how important horse racing and breeding is to the state of New Jersey in a variety of ways, and how the Meadowlands' status as the nation's top harness track is being affected by track slot machines in nearby states," Fisher said. "It makes some interesting observations as to how the competition will not only affect racetracks, but Atlantic City casinos and the horse industry in New Jersey. It goes on to point out reasons why VLTs at the Meadowlands can only help all involved, and gets to the heart of several challenges New Jersey racing faces."

WITTEN'S PHOTO WINS SMALLSREED AWARD

A sweeping photograph of Mr Feelgood's winning move in the Little Brown Jug, captured by North Carolina's Dave Witten, was selected the winner of the 2006 George Smallsreed Award for photojournalism, it was announced by the United States Harness Writers Association.

The Smallsreed, named for the late chief photographer for the United States Trotting Association and a much honored photojournalist, features a grand prize of $500 with $250 for second and $100 for third. The prizes, including the John Hervey Awards for print and video journalism, are sponsored by horse and racetrack owner Jeff Gural and are presented for excellence in the coverage of harness racing.

Witten, whose winning entry appeared in the September 27, 2006 edition of Horseman & Fair World, also won the Smallsreed in 2005 for one of his Little Brown Jug photos. He covers most of harness racing's premier events with his wife and co-photographer, Bea. The Wittens live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

"This is a picture that illustrates the excitement of a winning move in harness racing," said Michael Lipack, a photo editor for the New York Daily News, who served as the contest judge.

Lipack awarded second place honors to Jackie Wimbush of Belleville, Ontario, who submitted a whimsical shot that appeared in the November 2006 issue of Trot. It is an image of a zebra watching a harness horse in action. The photo, entitled "Racing Stripes," was used in the Trot for Kids calendar.

It was a "funny, eye-catching picture," Lipack said. "It would stop you on the page."

Mr Feelgood was also the subject of the third place photo. The "Feelgood Moment," the cover shot of the September 26, 2006 edition of the Canadian Sportsman, was taken by Dave Landry.

This image of caretaker Adam Hanley, embracing the head of Mr Feelgood, illustrated a "nice feeling between horse and groom after a race," noted Lipack.

DANCER TRIBUTE WINS HERVEY TELEVISION AWARD

A tribute to the late Hall of Famer Stanley Dancer, produced by the television department of the Meadowlands Racetrack, captured first prize in the 2006 John Hervey Awards for broadcast journalism, it was announced by the United States Harness Writers Association.

The second-place selection was a piece on the trotter Passionate Glide that was a segment of Inside the Heart of Harness Racing. Third-place was for a feature on Mildred Williams that appeared on Woodbine's Race Night on the Score.

The John Hervey Awards for television journalism offer a grand prize of $500 with $250 for second and $100 for third. The prizes, including Herveys for magazine writing, newspaper writing and the Smallsreed Awards for photography, are sponsored by horse and racetrack owner Jeff Gural and are presented for excellence in the coverage of harness racing.

Judging the television entrants was Neal Baker, a producer for NBA TV.

"This might be the finest Hervey Award entry that I've seen since I began judging this competition," Baker said of the Dancer tribute, which aired on Fox Sports Net's Racing from the Meadowlands on July 8, 2006. "Quite simply this piece introduced the viewer to Stanley Dancer the man, instead of Stanley Dancer the horseman. The writing in this package was flawless; the usage of slow-motion video was effective; Bob Heyden's delivery was perfect. The piece was delivered as if it was a eulogy and for good reason. I wasn't aware that Mr. Dancer's legacy was so rich; from the Sports Illustrated cover-story to his appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, he was an icon. This piece captures Stanley Dancer in all his glory."

The Dancer tribute, produced by Sam McKee, was written by Bob Heyden and edited by Marjorie Mamaril.

McKee was also the co-narrator of the second-place feature with Matthew Thor Waples, son of producer Monica Thors. "The approach of this feature was solid; from the story of Passionate Glide to the sit-down interview with Jimmy Takter and his wife, this piece covered all the bases," said Baker. "The rapport between Sam McKee and young Matthew Waples, along with the Passionate Glide profile, were the strongest components of this piece."

The third-place feature, produced by Greg Lanzo, recounts the story of one of the first woman drivers, Mildred Williams. "I never realized that Ms. Williams was the Jackie Robinson, so-to-speak, of harness racing," noted Baker. "Newspaper photos and the interview with Ms. Williams enhanced the piece. I was hoping to hear more from Ms. Williams on the hurdles or hardships she faced while trying to climb the ladder of the sport."