Tribute to A True Champion - Ron Rippey

 

Ron Rippey was so much more than one of the greatest public handicappers and one of the all-time greatest handicapping tournament players.  Very simply, he was a great man...a real mensch.

 

Despite an appearance which would lead many to assume meekness, he was so tough and resilient...in some ways because he had to be.  

 

Health was always an issue with Ron Rippey.  It has been noted he was one of the first patients for open heart surgery, almost 50 years ago at the age of 21.  While passing away at 70 is relatively young in this day and age...it's safe to type that the over came in on life expectancy for Rippey, given the various ailments and issues he dealt with throughout his life.

 

Certainly horse racing was a big part of Ron Rippey's life, but what mattered to him the most was his family.  I never met his son or his grandkids but I certainly knew his amazing wife Arlene from her constant presence alongside Ron at the various handicapping contests.

 

And I met his daughter Kelly in a rather unusual way...her father fixed us up for a date.  Rippey was extremely proud of raising a little girl who became a doctor.  It's hard not to assume watching her father fight health issues all of her life played a big part in Kelly's career choice.

 

For many years, Ron Rippey's selections were available in the Newark Star-Ledger on a daily basis, mostly covering the NY and NJ circuits.  He took this responsibility very seriously, never just mailing in picks without doing the work.  Rippey seriously cared about how his selections did for his loyal followers, of which there were many.

 

Of course, the biggest and best-known professional accomplishment for Ron came when winning the 2006 NHC in Las Vegas.  That was the only year the NHC was broadcast (ESPN) and yours truly had a up-close view as a roving reporter.  The unbridled joy he showed after his thrilling come-from-behind performance in the NHC is something I'll never forget.  The $250,000 was just a number to Rippey, with the title of National Champion and vindication of his life's work as a handicapper being much more important to him.

 

But that was hardly his lone big-time score in a handicapping contest and he had various victories in major events around the country, including a win at the Wynn less than four weeks ago for another six-figure score.

 

There are very few (if any) regs around the handicapping contest circuit who were as cordial and classy as Ron Rippey was.  My memory of how we met escapes me but I remember our initial social occasion in New Haven going out for a meal near the Teletheater about ten years ago or so.  

 

Sadly, Ron's last public appearance at a handicapping contest came three weeks ago at Saratoga, when Ron and Arlene shared a table with me at the Battle of Saratoga on Day 1 of the event.  He wasn't feeling too good and put in his remaining picks and retreated to the his hotel with Arlene.  When they were no-shows on Day 2, there was concern all around the Carousel...and as it turned out, rightly so.

 

My heart goes out to his entire family, especially to Arlene.

 

I truly hope the NTRA can do something special to keep the memory of Ron Rippey alive and I suggest the winner of the NHC wins a trophy named after Ron Rippey...a tremendous handicapper, a true champion, and even a better man.

- Dave Gutfreund