A video chronicling the miraculous recovery of a horrifically injured pacer who captured the heart of Canada has captured the 24th edition of the John Hervey Broadcasters Award, it was announced by the United States Harness Writers Association.
The Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) was honored with the first-place video award for its account of the injury, recuperation and eventual return to the winner’s circle of the pacer Joe Canadian.
The feature aired on The Score Network on Aug. 13, 2007 and was produced by Charlene Newland, associate producer for WEG’s weekly Standardbred program, Race Night.
On June 10, 2006, the gelded son of Armbro Operative was warming up before a race at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia, Ont., when he collided with the track's water truck. Although severely injured, Joe Canadian became the comeback story of the year, winning at Sarnia on June 9, 2007, almost a year to the day of the incident. The story is told through his caretaker, Brittany Kennedy.
“I was fortunate to see some excellent submissions, but (this) one piece stood out on first viewing and held up on subsequent viewings,” said John Lee, the director of communications for the New York Racing Association, who judged the broadcast entries for the Hervey.
“The piece skillfully compensated for the lack of footage of the actual accident with judicious use of stock footage and post production effects,” Lee noted. “It vividly communicated the extent of the horse’s frightening injuries along with the depth of compassion and concern that developed between the horse and his owners, vet and, especially, his groom...
"As the feature reaches a storybook ending when Joe Canadian beats all the odds, not just surviving, but actually racing and winning, the folks at Woodbine wrapped-up a compelling story that brought out the best in the racing game and would appeal to a wide-ranging audience,” he added.
Identifying the skill and production values of the piece, Lee also singled out for honorable mention a feature on Hall of Fame driver John Campbell, produced by NBC’s David Gulotta, which appeared on the Sept. 1, 2007 SUN-TV broadcast of the Breeders Crown at Woodbine.
"The story highlights the partnership between Campbell and his wife (Paula), and showed how the strength of that relationship sustained the driving legend when a racing injury put him on the sidelines,” Lee said.
The audio component of the John Hervey Broadcasters Award was not judged this year due to insufficient entries.
Winners will be honored as part of the Night of Champions Awards Banquet at the Dover Downs Hotel in Dover, Del. on Jan. 27, 2008. For tickets to the banquet, contact Mark Short or Scott Warren at (302) 398-7595 or DEValleyUSHWA@aol.com. (USHWA)
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