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Award for Excellence in Equestrian Journalism Reception and Talk by Former NFL Player Pellom McDaniels III

 



FOR RELEASE:  September 16, 2013



 

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2013
Winner of the Robert & Anne Heighe



Award
for Excellence in Equestrian Journalism Announced

Find out what's happening in Bel Airwith free, real-time updates from Patch.



 



The late William Boniface, long-time racing editor at The Baltimore
Sun,
has been named the 2013 recipient of the Robert and Anne Heighe Award
for Excellence in Equestrian Journalism that is given annually by the
Hays-Heighe House at Harford Community College in Bel Air, MD.



 



The award will be accepted by J. William “Billy” Boniface,
son of William Boniface and owner of Bonita Farm, at a reception to be held at
the Hays-Heighe House on Thursday, October 24, from 7-8:30 PM.  The public is invited to attend the reception
at which Pellom McDaniels, Ph.D. will talk about his traveling exhibit, The Prince of Jockeys: The Life of Isaac
Murphy
that will be on display at the Hays-Heighe House in October.  Reservations are required to attend the
reception, as capacity is limited; call Linda Anthony at 443-412-2539 to
request a reservation. A former NFL football player turned scholar, Dr.
McDaniels has written a book about Racing Hall of Fame inductee Isaac Burns
Murphy with the same title.



 



 “We could not be more
pleased with the selection of Mr. Boniface as this year’s winner,” said Carol
Allen, Library Director at Harford Community College, “especially given the
close connection between the Boniface family and Prospect Hill Farm.”  The criteria for the award include quality of
writing, reputation of the journalist, impact of the journalist’s work, and
longevity of career.  “Mr. Boniface’s
reporting and editorial work, over five decades, is well worthy of this
recognition,” Ms. Allen added.



 



William Boniface began covering races for The Baltimore
Sun
in 1937 and became racing editor in 1941, retiring in 1982.  His firsthand knowledge of horse racing (as a
rider, trainer, owner of Bonita Farm – now in Darlington, MD – and founder of
the Harford County Horse Breeders Association) shows in his coverage of the
sport that he loved.  Steve Dance, owner
of Steve Dance Auctions and a lead auctioneer with the thoroughbred sales firm
of Fasig-Tipton, recalled Mr. Boniface’s impact as a racing writer for a daily
paper: “For those of us who followed the sport, you turned to him first. He was
always nice to me and, of course, he started a family which is now into its
fourth generation of thoroughbred racing and breeding.” 



 



Ross Peddicord, Executive Director, Maryland Horse Industry
Board, Maryland Department of Agriculture stated, "For years Bill's column
‘Bang Tales' and his handicapping prowess made him the dean of Maryland's
horseracing community. He and his wife, Mary, were larger-than-life characters
who cut quite a swath through the centuries-old, sweeping narrative that makes
up Maryland horseracing lore."



 



Mr. Boniface was born into a “horse family” and began riding
and training horses at the age of 10.  He
attended NYU and wrote for magazines including Horse and Horseman and
Maryland Horse
.   In addition, he
wrote several thoroughbred racing annual reports for The Encyclopedia Britannica’s Year Book. During World War II, Mr.
Boniface served as a combat correspondent in the South Pacific.



 



During his career, he reported on more than 40 runnings of
the Preakness Stakes.  In 1983, Mr.
Boniface not only wrote about, but also made, horse-racing news when Deputed
Testamony – bred in the name of Bonita Farm and foaled there – won the
Preakness Stakes.



 



The inaugural equestrian journalism award presented by the
Hays-Heighe House in October 2012 recognized the late Joseph B. Kelly.



 



The Hays-Heighe House at Harford Community College is
located at 401 Thomas Run Road in Bel Air, Maryland.



 



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