Esteemed turf writers Andrew Beyer, Kent Hollingsworth and George F.T. Ryall
have been selected to the National Museum of Racing’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of
Honor.
Beyer developed his interest in racing while attending Harvard and began
covering the sport in the early 1970s. He has been The Washington Post‘s
horse racing columnist since 1978 and is the author of four books, including
“Picking Winners,” which introduced and explained Beyer Speed Figures, a
numerical rating assigned to every horse in every race. Beyer Speed Figures have
been incorporated into Daily Racing Form past performances and are
considered by most handicappers to be an indispensable tool. Beyer was honored
by the National Turf Writers Association with the Walter Haight Award in 1998.
“In recent decades the very name Beyer is often synonymous with the figures
included in Daily Racing Form past performances. There is no question
that Beyer Figures constitute a service to Thoroughbred racing, but when the Joe
Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Committee has addressed Andy’s role, a heavy emphasis
has been placed on his journalism and commentary,” said Edward L. Bowen,
chairman of the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Committee. “It is often
recognized that he has demonstrated the ability to inform and entertain, and
perhaps more importantly, shape the opinions of people in racing.”
Hollingsworth is best known as editor of The Blood-Horse from 1963
until 1986. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, he spent time in
the Army and worked as a news photographer and general sports writer for the
Lexington Herald. He also filed weekly reports on all Kentucky sports as a
correspondent for Sports Illustrated. While at The Blood-Horse,
Hollingsworth authored the popular “What’s Going On Here?” column. He was
honored with the Walter Haight Award by the National Turf Writers Association in
1990.
Hollingsworth authored several books, including the majority of the chapters
in “The Great Ones,” a collection of profiles of elite racehorses. Following his
distinguished tenure at The Blood-Horse, Hollingsworth taught equine law
at the University of Louisville and worked for The Racing Times and
Thoroughbred Times. He also served as president of the National Turf Writers
Association, chairman of the Racing Hall of Fame Committee and secretary of the
Grayson Foundation.
“To those of us who worked for Kent, it always seemed a privilege to have him
as a mentor. He wrote with humor and intellect and an unflagging devotion to
what he felt were the best interests of both the sport and the business of
racing,” Bowen said. “His willingness to work through a column over and over
until he got it as nearly perfect as possible was always a positive example. He
was also an avid researcher and had great command of the history of the turf.”
Ryall, who wrote under the pen name of Audax Minor, was born in Canada and
raised in England. He began working as a general assignment reporter for the
London Exchange-Telegraph, where he also wrote racing reports from
England for New York World. Ryall later returned to New York City and wrote his
first racing column for The New Yorker in 1926. He chose a pen name at
the time because he was still writing for New York World. Ryall’s column
“The Race Track” ran in The New Yorker from 1926 until 1978. He also
wrote for The Blood-Horse, Town & Country, The Sportsman
and Country Life, among others. He won the Walter Haight Award in 1973.
“Mr. Ryall had a long career, but to many of us his years of writing for The
New Yorker created his definitive image,” Bowen said. “He wrote with grace,
humor, and deep knowledge. I always felt he provided a service to the sport by
not only informing and entertaining those intimately involved, but in capturing
the appeal of the turf for those with a more casual connection.”
Previous selections to the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor include Steven
Crist (2010), Bill Nack (2010), Red Smith (2010), Charles Hatton (2010), Dr.
Russ Harris (2011), Joe Palmer (2011), Jay Hovdey (2012) and Whitney Tower
(2012).
The Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Committee is comprised of Bowen, Eric Wing
of the New York Racing Association, Cot Campbell of Dogwood Stable, retired turf
publicist Jane Goldstein and National Museum of Racing trustees Leverett Miller
and Ken Grayson.
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