Dancer tribute earns 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.

The U.S. Harness Writers Announced the winners of the Hervey Awards for broadcast journalism. 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.”

« Back