IN & AROUND HORSE COUNTRY • SPRING 2018
Trainer Todd Wyatt brought a van-load of horses from Maryland, and he had a successful invasion winning three races and finishing second twice. After saddling Biedermeier to be second in the first division of the maiden timber race, Wyatt accounted for the next three races. This march to the winners’ circle started with Armata Stables’ Rudyard K (Brett Owings) in the second division of the maiden timber race. Owings rated Rudyard K close to the pace, had a narrow lead over the last fence and held off Noble Stables’ Kingofalldiamonds (Barry Foley) to win by ¾ length. Kinross Farm’s Pocket Talk (Chris Gracie) finished third. Next was the amateur and novice rider timber race won by Blair Wyatt’s Witor (Eric Poretz). Witor raced on or near the lead for most of the race. With three furlongs to run Magalen O. Bryant’s Dakota Slew (McLane Hendriks) engaged Witor, and they ran as a team towards the last fence. Upon landing Witor pulled away and won easily by 2½ lengths. Dakota Slew was second, and Ben Swope’s Way Up High (Erin Swope) was third. Winning owner Blair Wyatt is one of Randy Waterman’s daughters, and it was nice seeing the familiar purple and gold silks back on the race course. Randy Waterman was the long time MFH and Huntsman of the Piedmont Fox Hounds and a champion point-to-point rider. For the second year in a row Wyatt saddled Peter A. Jay’s Prime Prospector to win the foxhunter timber race at Piedmont. This year Prime Prospector (Brett Owings) led for most of the race with Andrew Motion’s Awesome Pearl (Janie Motion) close behind. When Awesome Pearl faded in the last half mile, Addones Last Hurrah (Erin Swope) took up the chase but fell 3 lengths short of the winner. Gerry L. Brewster’s Derwins Prospector (Ashton Williams) used this race to prep for his winning effort in the Maryland Hunt Cup last year, and he got a race under his belt again finishing a good third. Another former Maryland Hunt Cup winner was in action in the lady rider timber race with Ann Jackson’s Raven’s Choice (Blair Wyatt). Erin Swope rated Sweet Talking Guy in the early going but went to the front with about a mile to run. Raven’s Choice joined the leader in the final quarter mile, and these two jumped the last as a team. Sweet Talking Guy pulled away in the stretch and won by 3 lengths over Raven’s Choice. Ouroboros Racing’s Sumo Power (Mackenzie Rosman) ran evenly and finished third. Junior pony racing came back to Piedmont after a very long absence with races run for small, medium, and large ponies. Suzanne Stettinius’ Emmy-Lou (Austin Belt) was the front running winner of the small pony race with Imogen Weaver’s Quick Draw McGraw (Daphne Walsh) finishing second. The winning margin was 30 lengths. Teddy Davies rode the medium pony winner, Count Chocula, and the large pony winner, Bailey. Both ponies belong to EHM Stables and are trained by Betty McCue. Anna Bourke’s Sunny Delight was second to Count Chocula, who won by 4 lengths, with Flora Hannum’s Eddy third. Bailey won by 2 lengths over Regina Welsh’s Ace of Spades (Hannah Belt) with Chloe Hannum’s Snickers third in the large pony race. Continued
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Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point, Rokeby Challenge Bowl Open Timber Zanclus (Darren Nagle, up) – 1st.
Count Chocula (Teddy Davies, up) wins Medium Ponies; Davies also won the Large Ponies Division on Bailey.
Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point, Thomas M. Beach and Virginia A. Beach Memorial Lady Rider Timber Sweet Talking Guy (Erin Swope, up) – 1st.
Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point, George Robert Slater Memorial Open Timber, 1st Division Formidable Heart (Darren Nagle, up) – 1st.