Bowen to be posthumously honored with Eclipse Award of Merit
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Ed Bowen, the longtime racing historian, author, and journalist who died in January 2025, will be posthumously awarded the Eclipse Award of Merit in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding achievement in the Thoroughbred industry, it was announced Tuesday.
Bowen will be celebrated at the Eclipse Awards ceremony on Jan. 22 at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida.
Bowen was editor-in-chief of The Blood-Horse magazine, authored more than 20 books, was later president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and served for 35 years on the nominating committee for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Bowen also was intricately involved in the Eclipse Awards from its inception in 1971, writing the opening remarks for each ceremony and writing scripts for all finalist videos.
“Ed’s accomplishments in our sport are readily known,” James Gagliano, Jockey Club president and COO, said in a release. “Simply put, as a Thoroughbred breeding and racing journalist, Ed was peerless. And while he was perhaps the sport’s greatest historian, his contributions to the health and welfare of the breed through his many years at Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation were a capstone of a great and dynamic career.”
Over the course of his life, Bowen gained respect and admiration from the many people whose lives he touched and the friendships that endured. He is remembered as a mentor, teacher, and great storyteller – often in an engaging and amusing manner.
“Ed was the finest Turf historian and chronicler of the Thoroughbred industry. Period,” said Kimberly S. (Herbert) Brown, a Blood-Horse writer from 1980-2010 and founder of the magazine The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Healthcare. “He wanted stories told with accuracy and heart. Ed taught his staff to be curious, to be devoted to excellence in each story, and to be better with each deadline.”
Bowen was born in Welch, W. Va., in 1942, and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He began riding horses as a youth and during summers while attending the University of Florida. It was in Florida that Bowen worked at the Sun-Sentinel newspaper. In 1963, he got a job at The Blood-Horse and transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he studied journalism.
After a two-year stint as editor of the monthly Canadian Horse magazine, Bowen came back to Kentucky and took the managing editor’s position at The Blood-Horse. In 1987, he became editor-in-chief. He worked at The Blood-Horse until 1993.
"He loved horses, and he loved horse people. Every story. He lived it," Bowen's wife, Ruthie, told The Blood-Horse. "He followed the races on the weekend and sent emails to people when they won. He loved the sport. He liked the guy at the barn, he liked the owners, he just loved the whole deal."
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In 1994, Bowen made a career shift when he was named president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. During his 24 years at Grayson, Bowen helped propel the organization to remarkable success, which included raising $22 million for research projects for the equine species. In each of his years at the foundation, it was able to bestow $1 million for equine research.
“I can think of no other person who promoted not only the horse, but also horse racing more than Ed Bowen,” said Dell Hancock, former Grayson chair and a current director. “Through his pen and his work at the Hall of Fame, he recognized the people and the horses that deserve to be revered. His work at the Grayson Foundation did nothing but make the world safer and better for our equine athletes.”
In addition to Grayson, Bowen’s impact on the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was also significant. He was a museum trustee and served as chair of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. He also chaired the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor Selection Committee and served previously on the Pillars of the Turf. Bowen was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame as both a member of the Media Roll of Honor and a Pillar of the Turf in 2025.
Bowen received many awards for his writing, including an Eclipse Award for magazine writing in 1992, the National Turf Writers Association's Walter Haight Award, and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders' Charles W. Engelhard Award, among other honors.
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