NEWS
NTWA to honor McCarron, Kruytbosch, Wall
Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:39 AM
Retired Racing Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, the late track announcer Luke Kruytbosch, and multiple Media Eclipse Award-winning Turf writer Maryjean Wall will be honored later this year with awards presented by the National Turf Writers Association.
McCarron, who retired from the saddle in 2002 as the sport’s all-time leading rider by purses won, will receive the Joe Palmer Award during the 49th annual NTWA Awards Dinner on October 22 at Castle Green in Pasadena, California. Named for the former New York Herald Tribune Turf writer, the Palmer Award is presented annually for meritorious service to racing. Past winners of the Palmer Award are Steve Cauthen, Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay Jr., John Gaines, Charlie Whittingham, Secretariat, and 2007 winner Larry Bramlage, D.V.M.
A native of Boston, McCarron currently serves as executive director and instructor at the North American Riding Academy, a school he founded in 2006. The academy is based at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington and its curriculum is designed for aspiring jockeys. Along with his wife, Judy, and actor-comedian Tim Conway, McCarron also created the Don MacBeth Memorial Fund for disabled jockeys and served as an executive at Santa Anita Park after his retirement from riding.
Winner of the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey in 1974 and the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey in ’80, McCarron led North America by races won three times and by money won four times. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.
McCarron previously was honored by the NTWA with the Mr. Fitz Award in 2002.
Kruytbosch, the announcer at Churchill Downs and the voice of the Kentucky Derby since 1999 who passed away on July 14, will be honored posthumously with the Mr. Fitz Award. Presented annually to an individual or group for typifying the spirit of horse racing, the Mr. Fitz Award is named for the late Hall of Fame trainer Jim “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons. Past winners of the Mr. Fitz Award include 2007 recipient Calvin Borel, Joe Hirsch, John Henry, Penny Chenery, and Bob Baffert.
An avid racing fan on and off the job, Kruytbosch was a graduate of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona and called races at Ellis Park and Turf Paradise at the time of his death at age 47. Known for his distinct baritone voice and charismatic personality, Kruytbosch had been the track announcer at Hollywood Park, Ruidoso Downs, The Downs at Albuquerque, Santa Fe Downs, Sunland Park, and Fair Meadows at Tulsa during his career.
Wall, a Turf writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader from 1973 until her retirement earlier this year, will receive the Walter Haight Award named for the former Washington Post Turf writer and columnist and presented annually for excellence in Turf writing. Wall grew up in Canada and wanted to be a jockey until she later turned to writing when she moved to Kentucky in 1966.
One of the first women to cover racing on a full-time basis, Wall won Media Eclipse Awards in 1980, ‘97, and ‘99. She also was a three-time winner of Standardbred racing’s John Hervey Award. Wall currently writes about racing on her website, www.maryjeanwall.com, and is working to complete her dissertation for a Ph.D. in history at the University of Kentucky.
Past winners of the Haight Award include 2007 recipient Dick Jerardi, Bill Nack, Bill Leggett, Jennie Rees, and Jay Hovdey.
