[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Sports Hall of Fame inducts youngest racehorse announcer in USA

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish Sports Hall of Fame inducts youngest racehorse announcer
in USA
Monday, 27 February 2012	

On Saturday, March 10, the St. Bernard Parish Sports Hall of Fame will
induct its first professional race horse personality in 37-year thoroughbred
veteran of the sport Ricky Mocklin in the organization's 17th annual
ceremony, while our guest speaker, New Orleans Saints Vice-President of
Ticket Sales and Suites Mike Stanfield, should quickly grab the attention of
all who attend.

The tremendous success Stanfeld and his staff have created in selling out
the Superdome for 36-straight games and raising the season-ticket sales to
more than 53,000 people in his 13-year venture with the local professional
football team.

Four months after graduating from Chalmette High School in 1974, Mocklin
started his pro career in the professional race horse industry as the track
announcer at Jefferson Downs in Kenner, and just 20 days before his 18th
birthday, he announced his first thoroughbred race, becoming the youngest
track announcer in the country.

His life persuit in the horse racing business led him to announce horse
races in such places as Delta Downs in Vinton, in north Louisiana, Sam
Houston Race Park in Houston, Tx; Blue Grass Downs in Paducah, Kentucky and
at the Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Kentucky as well as the most historic
race horse venue in the USA in the New Orleans Fair Grounds.

Mocklin broadened his career reach by entering the Communications, Publicity
and Media Relations of the pro horse racing world.

The CHS graduate assembled the Media Guide, handicapped for in-house
television and local newspapers - the Times Picayune, Houston Chroncile and
Evansville Courier.

Since November 1995, Ricky has worked as a Thoroughbred jockey agent. He has
guided the path of such jockeys as Louisiana Hall of Famer Randy Romero,
National Hall of Famer Jorge Velasquez, Corey Lanerie, Gerard Melancon,
Carlos Gonzales and Donnie Meche.


Forming a jockey-agent team with Lanerie, they won many races around the
country including the prestigious $500,000 New Orleans Handicap. With
Mocklin as his agent, Lanerie set all the current race riding records during
the 1999 summer racing season at Lone Star Park in Grand Praire, TX. Lanerie
was named "Jockey of the Year" during the Louisiana Downs racing season that
year after teaming with Mocklin.

He became a licensed Thoroughbred trainer in Louisiana for 10 years. He was
linked to Sava U Money, a Louisaiana/St.Bernard-bred and raised colt, who
was foaled at Joe Dembrum's stables on Paris Road.

He did the live call of the 1994 Maxxam Gold Cup for ESPN in June 1984 and
did voice-overs for the live coverage of he 1992 Louisiana Derby broadcast
by ESPN.

Finally, Mocklin has produced a weekly one-hour radio talk show broadcast
from the Fairgrounds. He continues as a writer and publisher of a weekly
newsletter to inform race fans of latest horse racing news, upcoming stakes
races, events and promotions at several parks including the NO Fairgrounds.

After serving the role of ticket sales manager in Major League Baseball with
the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers and in the International Hockey
League with the Detroit Vipers where the team led the league in ticket
sales, Mike Stanfield arrived with the Saints in 2000.

Since 2000, Stanfield has developed a strong portfolio of creative
techniques and promotions to increase ticket sales and suites for the
Saints.

Currently, his duties include handling all consumer marketing with lease of
the Superdome luxury suites and team merchandise.

He and his staff have developed creative promotional campaigns by using
social and new media platforms. In 2010, New Orleans was named as top
professional sports organization by ESPN The Magazine.

Now in his 13th season with the Saints and 24 years in professional sports
industry, Standfield is a board member with the Saints Hall of Fame and a
member of the Superbowl XLVII Host Executive Committee.

Additional accolades came Standfield's way last year as he was named MVP of
the Steering Committee of National Sports Forum.

SBPSHOF urges people who want to attend the 17th annual ceremony, contact a
board member as quickly as possible as tickets are moving quickly for the
Saturday, March 10 event where the doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $400 for a table of 10 or one ticket for $40. Board members to
contact are Eddie Appel (504-301-6135); Jim Bickford (504-495-1104); Donny
Bourgeois (504-236-3877); Dr. Bryan Frichter (504-554-2685) as well as
Kristie Cowen, Pam Walther, Guy McInnis and Raymond Doran and Jerry Graves.

This sports function facilitates contact with the inductee and with a Saints
V-P. This venue is more than just a fun night out, but a business
opportunity as well.