The Eclipse Award of Merit is part of the American

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

s in

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are co ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. The industry's highest honor, it is presented to an individual or entity displaying outstanding lifetime achievement in, and service to, the Thoroughbred industry. First awarded in 1976, the Eclipse Award of Merit is voted on by a panel of representatives from the

National Thoroughbred Racing Association The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is a broad-based coalition of American horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with inc ...

Daily Racing Form The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of r ...

and the

National Turf Writers Association The National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) is an American association of journalists, columnists and other writers involved with reporting on the horse racing industry. The organization was founded by prominent sports writer Joe Hirsch who serv ...

Winners

*2021 - Earle I. Mack *2019 - ''No Award Presented'' *2018 - Joe Harper *2017 - ''No Award Presented'' *2016 - Andrew Beyer / Steven Crist *2015 - Leonard Lavin *2014 - Tom Durkin *2013 - D. Wayne Lukas *2012 - Nick Nicholson *2011 - W. Cothran "Cot" Campbell *2010 -

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

/ Marylou Whitney *2009 - William S. Farish III,

Lane's End Farm Lane's End Farm is a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought ...

*2008 - Alice Headley Chandler of Mill Ridge Farm *2007 - ''No Award Presented'' *2006 - John A. Nerud *2005 - Penny Chenery *2004 - The Cella Family *2003 -

Richard L. Duchossois Richard Louis Duchossois (pronounced DUCH-ah-swah; October 7, 1921 – January 28, 2022) was an American businessman and racehorse owner. He was the founder and chairman of The Duchossois Group, Inc., a family-owned company headquartered in Elmh ...

*2002 -

Ogden Phipps Ogden Phipps (November 26, 1908 – April 21, 2002) was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist. In 2001, he was inducte ...

/ Howard Battle *2001 - Harry T. Mangurian Jr. / Pete Pederson *2000 -

Jim McKay James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known professionally as Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist. McKay was best known for hosting ABC's '' Wide World of Sports'' (1961–1998). His introd ...

*1999 - ''No award presented'' *1998 - D. G. Van Clief Jr. *1997 - Bob and Beverly Lewis *1996 - Allen E. Paulson *1995 - James E. "Ted" Bassett III *1994 - Alfred G. Vanderbilt II *1993 -

Paul Mellon Paul Mellon (June 11, 1907 – February 1, 1999) was an American philanthropist and an owner/ breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall ...

*1992 - Joe Hirsch / Robert P. Strub *1991 - Fred W. Hooper *1990 - Warner L. Jones Jr. *1989 - Michael Sandler *1988 - John Forsythe *1987 - James B. Faulconer *1986 - Herman Cohen *1985 - Keene Daingerfield *1984 - John R. Gaines *1981 -

Bill Shoemaker William Lee Shoemaker (August 19, 1931 – October 12, 2003) was an American jockey. For 29 years he held the world record for total professional jockey victories. Early life Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Sho ...

*1980 - John D. Shapiro *1979 - Frank E. Kilroe *1978 - Ogden Mills Phipps *1977 -

Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960) is a retired American jockey. In 1977 he became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year working with agent Lenny Goodman, and in 1978 he became the youngest jockey to win the U. S. ...

*1976 - Jack J. Dreyfus

References

The Eclipse Awards at the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of America, Inc.

''The Bloodhorse.com'' Champion's history charts
{{Eclipse Awards Horse racing awards Horse racing in the United States