ST Publishing Inc.’s co-founders and co-editors Joe and Sean Clancy were honored during the American Horse Publications’ annual awards dinner last weekend in Orlando for their editorial material published in 2015.
Joe earned two first-place honors – in the Horse Care Single Article category for a story titled “Squeeze Play” that appeared in the June 2015 issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred and in the Personal Single Column category for his piece titled “A Rich Life” that appeared in the February 2015 issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred.
The article “Squeeze Play” covered a new technique used to treat dummy foals and judges commented, “What a great service piece to your readers . . . This article is a superb example of telling the readers everything they NEED to know while resisting the temptation to tell them everything there IS to know.”
Joe’s column “A Rich Life” paid tribute to the life (and death) of Rich, a retired Thoroughbred owned by Clancy’s father, former trainer Joe Clancy Sr. Judges commented, “Every horse owner can relate to having – and eventually losing – that special horse. That’s what makes this article so special and relatable: how you connect with and convey that experience with your readers.”
Sean picked up a third in the Editorial Event Coverage Single Article category for his piece titled “Frozen Out in Saratoga” about Keen Ice’s upset of American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes that appeared in the Aug. 30, 2015 issue of The Saratoga Special (Check it out on Page 10). He earned another third in the Personality Profile Single Article category for his story titled “Boy Wonder” that featured the late Hall of Fame jockey Chris Antley and appeared in the August 2015 issue of Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred.
ST Publishing produces the editorial content for Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, which was honored with the General Excellence Award for Association Publication (circulation under 15,000) and overall took home four first-place honors, two seconds and a third in the annual contest. Ninety-eight members took part in the 2015 edition of the contest, first held in 1974, and made 770 entries.
Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred earned its second General Excellence honor and first since 2004. Judges were given three editions from 2015 and responded with:
“This publication stands out for its skillfully rendered graphics, finely wrought action photographs and decent writing. It’s notable for standing features such as Pensioner on Parade (retired horses) and Names of the Month (often funny) as well as up-to-date pieces on racing, steeplechasing and medical procedures.”
The AHP awards follow an earlier honor this year for Joe and Sean, who in April were presented with the Charles W. Engelhard Award by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders for outstanding coverage of the Thoroughbred industry. Joe won the Joe Hirsch Memorial Writing Award earlier this month for his coverage of the 2015 Belmont Stakes.
