For the eighth consecutive year, college students preparing to be sportswriters and editors attended and covered the Hambletonian through a program

run by the US Harness Writers Association (USHWA). The program, called The Hirt College Journalism Workshop, was modeled after a similar program conducted at the Kentucky Derby, but now discontinued.

Students from Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, Ithaca College, Southern Connecticut State College and Heidelberg College spent four days honing their journalism skills to write stories about the Hambletonian for the Asbury Park Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Toronto Sun, Boston.com, The Trentonian and Hoof Beats magazine. One student assisted on the NBC television production.

Speakers included John Quinn, deputy sports editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, who issued a reportorial challenge to the students to research and write about the founding of The Meadowlands. The best report will be published in the Inquirer.

The workshop was organized and led by Dave (New York Daily News) and Debbie (New York Post) Little, Jessica Schroeder and Ken Weingartner (USTA), Lia Eustachewich (New York Daily News), Chris Wittstruck (USHWA) and Tom Bojarski (USHWA). Editing assistance was provided by Daily News editors Adam Berkowitz and John Oswald. There was a visit to the Harness Racing Museum, Yonkers Raceway judges’ stand and a spin behind horses from the Jean Drolet and Jim Doherty Stable. Workshop students also assisted in the driver-trainer autograph session on Hambletonian morning in Paddock Park.

The program is underwritten by USHWA and their NYC chapter with assistance from The Meadowlands and the US Trotting Association, Yonkers Raceway and the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.

Read more about the Clyde Hirt workshop in the July 2010 issue of Trot Magazine.

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This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.