Mayo, Rippey in NHC Hall of Fame
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The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has announced that Mike Mayo and Ron Rippey have been selected to the inaugural class of the National Handicapping Championship Hall of Fame.
Mayo, longtime chairman of the NHC players' committee, and Rippey, the 2006 NHC champion, will be inducted at the NHC champions dinner Sunday, Jan. 25, at the conclusion of the 16th Daily Racing Form/NTRA NHC.
Mayo, a native of Richardson, Texas, played an integral role in the growth and development of the NHC and was instrumental in the establishment of the NHC Tour and the expansion of the event to three days and a final table format. Mayo passed away Sept. 18, 2014, at the age of 60, at his home in Texas.
Rippey, a resident of Wayne, N.J., was the 2006 NHC champion and an 11-time qualifier. A longtime public handicapper for the Newark Star-Ledger, Rippey won multiple tournaments and excelled at all formats throughout his contest playing career. Rippey passed away Aug. 26, 2014, at the age of 70, while being treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
"Both Mike and Ron left indelible marks on the National Handicapping Championship and, through it, contributed to the widespread promotion of Thoroughbred racing in general," said NTRA president and CEO Alex Waldrop.
The inaugural Hall of Fame inductees were chosen by the NTRA after consultation with the NHC players' committee. In future years, nominations will be accepted and a slate of finalists will be announced. Each year, as many as two individuals from the list of finalists will be elected by the NHC Hall of Fame council consisting of existing NHC Hall of Fame members, a panel of media, the NHC players' committee, and selected tournament operators.