BloodHorse Copy Editor Hall Improved Everyone's Story

In his 50s, Tom Hall stepped away from a teaching career to become a copy editor for BloodHorse publications. The new job proved a dream position for Hall, who loved horses and words. 

As he settled into the role, there was no thought of retirement for the physically fit and sharp-minded Hall. He continued the job he loved for more than 25 years—even using it as motivation when he battled cancer and its taxing treatments in recent months. Only his life's end could halt his trips to the BloodHorse office. Hall died Jan. 9 in Lexington. He was 78.

Hall's thorough review improved countless works of BloodHorse writers for the company's various platforms. He started at The Horse, which specializes in horse health care. Then he edited books for BH's Eclipse Press before moving to his position with the magazine. In recent years, he also edited and wrote pedigree-focused racing stories for the BloodHorse+ website. 

Hall also wrote stories for the magazine over the years, typically focusing on breeding or racing history. He co-wrote the story on the 2022 leading broodmare sire Bernardini that will appear in the February issue. 

"Tom was a beloved member of the BloodHorse team. He absolutely loved his work and pursued it with a dedication like no other," said BloodHorse editorial director Claire Crosby. "His brilliant mind constantly sought to improve the stories he edited. When he worked on a piece the copy always ended up better for it, and the writer often learned a thing or two along the way."

Former BloodHorse editorial director Evan Hammonds worked closely with Hall for many years. He recalled Hall's quality of work and his love of conversation.

"His editing skills and keen mind for pedigrees made every writer's copy better and his feature writing always carried a certain thoroughness thanks to the in-depth research he conducted," Hammonds said. "Despite his low-key and curmudgeon-like demeanor, he was always open to conversation—especially if it involved the history of the Thoroughbred. He was loved and respected by everyone in the company."

For Keeneland magazine editor Jacqueline Duke, Hall's contributions were invaluable. He was copy chief for the magazine for more than 20 years. "Tom had no peer in his meticulous approach to copy editing and fact checking. No fact was too small to verify; no sentence too good to improve. I can't express the magnitude of the loss of a dear colleague and even dearer friend."

For years Hall prominently displayed near his work station a photo of the old man, Carl Fredericksen, from the 2009 animated movie "Up." When Tom wore his glasses, there was a resemblance, and the role of copy editor—telling writers what they messed up—is, by definition, that of a bit of curmudgeon, but the comparison ended when it came to personality. While Fredericksen spends much of the movie as grumpy, Hall consistently brought a pleasant demeanor. 

In the past year I was working in the Keeneland press box, reviewing Hall's suggested changes for a story when turf writer Tom Law noticed my efforts and expressed surprise by the low-tech process. Yes, Tom Hall preferred to do his editing on hard copy as opposed to on the computer. While most of us have moved to editing on the screen, I was smart enough to adjust to the master's ways. And so I continued to read the printouts, decipher Tom's suggested changes, and then make the corrections. 

Antiquated or not, Tom's method made for better nights of sleep for myself as the thoroughly reviewed magazine went to the printer. 

But Hall also embraced technology. Besides his efforts with BH+, he had a solid following on Twitter where he celebrated Thoroughbred breeding and animal welfare.

A racing highlight each year for Hall would be the races from Royal Ascot. While he would follow each race on television, he never watched a race. As colleagues would gather around the television, Hall would turn his back to the screen as the horses loaded in the gate—ensuring he would never witness an equine injury. He would then intently listen to the race call, enjoying the race caller's description of the often-large fields.

"In many ways Tom represented the soul of the BloodHorse," said bloodstock editor Eric Mitchell. "He was passionate about racing but the welfare of the horse was always his priority. He was a student of pedigrees and history, but could not watch a live race for fear of seeing a horse get injured. He held the greatest respect for owners who were sporting men and women who put the health of their horses first and were not merely investors."

America's Best Racing senior producer of digital meeting Greg Charkoudian recalled looking forward to hanging out with Hall on Kentucky Derby Day in pursuit of winning photos.

"It's a long day and we would always pack our lunches and snacks," Charkoudian said. "He'd look over mine and we'd make a trade or two. He was so nice; a fun person."

Hall would sometimes celebrate the conclusion of editing a story with 10 quick push-ups. His enthusiasm and ability to dive into the pursuits that interested him amazed Mitchell.

"Tom was a talented photographer as well and loved capturing the spirit of the horses he most admired," Mitchell noted. "He was equally committed to beautiful language and was our conscience regarding grammar, accuracy, and fairness. Whatever Tom did, it was never done half heartedly. He became an avid tennis player and was devoted to staying physically fit. His commitment, devotion, and caring extended to his friends and co-workers for whom he would do anything. His warmth, intelligence, and humor will be greatly missed."

"Tom's passing is a great loss to the BloodHorse team both professionally and personally," said BloodHorse chairman Carl Hamilton. "After more than 25 years, his enthusiasm, passion, and dedication toward consistently putting out the best publication possible never waned. He will be missed."

"Tom was a tremendous mentor to many who were fortunate enough to study his ways," Crosby noted. "His compliments on quality writing made the recipients proud, because we knew those compliments were not given lightly. His opinion carried great influence. His encyclopedic knowledge of Thoroughbred pedigrees was remarkable. Genuinely humble, Tom always said he was a background player and downplayed his role, but everyone who worked with him recognized his great value."

Assistant editor Debbie Tuska would be there for Tom day after day as he faced his health challenges in recent months. For those who have known Tuska's kindness and depth of concern for others over the years, this was not a surprise. Seeing first-hand her care for Tom leaves an impression that will last all my days.

Just as the work meant so much to Tom, at BloodHorse we'll continue to put everything into our stories as we move forward. But we most assuredly will miss him in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

At this moment, I'm wondering how he would have improved this story.