May/June 2024 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN May/June 2024 Page 29 Serving PA, MD, DE, NJ and NY 'Chasing Season Starts with Brandywine Hills and Cheshire The featured event of the four sanctioned timber races was the Joseph Walker III Memorial Open Timber for the Cheshire Bowl and a $20,000 purse. The winner in a tine of 5:05 3/5 was Court Ruler, owned by Leipers Fork Steeplechase, trained by Leslie Young, and ridden to victo- ry by Freddie Procter. “I was kind of worried that the extra rain that came down last night was going to make it too soft. It probably was softer than ideal for my horse. He likes the ground a bit quicker, but the course was lovely. He jumped fantastically,” Procter said. Court Ruler finished 2 ½ lengths ahead of Parker Hendriks on Royal Ruse (Charles Fenwick, owner; Sanna Neilson, trainer). Fashion Line (Armara Stables, owner; Katherine Neilson, trainer; Gerald Galligan, rider) and With- outmoreado (Irvin Naylor, owner; Katherine Neilson, trainer; Connor Tierney rider), completed the race in third and fourth respectively. In the Louis Neilson III Me- morial Apprentice Rider Timber race for a $15,000 purse, there were also four starters. First un- der the wire was Include It (Riv- erdee Stable, owner; Todd Wyatt, trainer; and Elizabeth Scully, rider) in a time of 5:17 3/5. The stretch run where Include It drove past Connor Tierney on AwesomeAdrian (Nancy Reed, owner; Katherine Neilson, trainer) was complicated by a loose horse running with them to the finish line. JockeyAndrew Burke Ott had fall- en from Rythmia (Upland Partners, owner; Todd McKenna, trainer). In the Ashwell Stables Maid- en Timber race, the winner was Hard Strike, ridden by Harrison Beswick for Keystone Thorough- breds, and trainer Todd McKen- na, in a time of 5:12 2/5. By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Two of the longest standing point to point race meets in the Delaware Valley Point to Point Association are the Cheshire Races, and the Brandywine Hills Point to Point Races. The 77th running of the Cheshire Races was held on Easter Sunday, March 31 at the Plantation Field property near Unionville, PA. The day’s events were held in honor of Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard. In the Jill Fanning Memorial, a non-sanctioned Novice Timber race, the winner was Island Na- tion, under jockey Connor Tier- ney, for owner Irvin S Naylor, and trainer Katherine Neilson Brandywine Hills One week later at Brandy- wine Hills Point to Point Races, after multiple scratches the Open Timber and Amateur Apprentice Rider Races were combined to run together. First under the wire was Withoutmoreado, who had finished fourth in the Open Tim- ber at Cheshire. Withoutmoreado was ridden on this outing by Teddy Davies for owner Irvin Naylor and train- er Katherine Neilson. Second to the line was Shootist under Freddie Procter for owner Upland Partners and trainer Todd McKenna. The first race of the day at Brandywine Hills, the Ladies Timber Race, was a milestone for eighteen-year-old rider Scar- let Davies who got a surprise drenching in cold water to cel- ebrate her first win over timber. She won with Brave Deacon (owner/trainer Joseph Davies) in dramatic fashion, leading the race all the way with a lead that was so big that by the finish the second and third horses were not in sight yet. Running alone she let her horse set his own pace. “I tried to focus on my horse and give him the best ride possi- ble,” she said. The remaining Timber Race on the card was the Novice Tim- ber, which was won by Johnny Swish, ridden by Andrew Burke Ott (Keystone Thoroughbreds, owner; Todd McKenna, trainer). At both Cheshire and Bran- dywine Hills Point to Point there were races for side-saddle riders. While both followed the field- master chase format, Cheshire’s course did not include jumps, but Brandywine Hills did. At Cheshire, Cheetah Beach, ridden by Lauren Apple, (Jessica Lampe owner/trainer) was first under the wire followed by Gun Lobby, ridden by Sally Smith, (Julie Nafe, owner/trainer). Cheetah Beach was the sec- ond-place finisher at Brandywine Hills in a driving finish, close behind Noble Weed under owner/ trainer/rider Julie Nafe. Court Ruler (right) won the featured Open Timber race at Cheshire. Court Ruler is owned by Leipers Fork Steeplechase, trained by Leslie Young, and ridden to victory by Freddie Procter. Multiple scratches at Brandywine Hills led to a combined Amateur Apprentice Timber (won by Without- moreado, right, with rider Teddy Davies for owner Irvin Naylor) and Open Timber race, won by Shootist under Freddy Proctor for trainer Todd McKenna. All photos by Marcella Peyre-Ferry Eighteen year old Scarlet Davies had her first win in a timber race with Brave Deacon in the Ladies Race at Brandywine Hills. She received the traditional first win dunking after finishing with an enormous lead. Both meets featured sidesaddle races for lady riders. Here riders at Cheshire head for the finish line, with Cheetah Beach, ridden by Lauren Apple, the ultimate winner.