The Temple Gwathmey Steeplechase Foundation continued its mission to fund Opportunity, Growth & Change in 2023 while preserving the history of the sport.
Taylor Kinsley is congratulated by Shark Hanlon after a win on Chef D'etat in a bumper race inJ une in Ireland (Photo by Pierre Manigault)
Amateur/Apprentice Racing Highlights
In 2023, there were nine NSA races restricted to amateur or apprentice riders.
Taylor Kingsley and Elizabeth Scully, both apprentice riders and both past TGSF Ireland trip participants, each won a race overseas this year riding with the Fegentri International Federation of Gentlemen and Lady Riders.
Elizabeth Scully won the Fegentri Mixed Race at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland in August.
Taylor Kingsley won the Longines Fegentri World Championship for Lady Riders at the Casablanca-Anfa Racecourse in Morocco in November.
Apprentice jockey Conor Tierney finished 8th in the standings for jockeys (races won this year).
His record was 31 starts with 7 wins, 7 seconds and 4 thirds.
He rode Irv Naylor's WIithoutmoreado to victory in the Maryland Hunt Cup in April.
TIERNEY was the NSA's leading Apprentice Rider for 2023.
Tierney captured the Apprentice title with seven wins on the year, to go along with seven seconds and four thirds, with total earnings of $181,850.
Overall, he ranked third leading rider over timber by wins, behind Freddie Procter and Harry Beswick.
Elizabeth Scully had 23 starts this year - way up from 10 starts in 2022 - with a record of 2-3-6 and over $77k in earnings.
Virginia Korrell also had a huge year - 20 starts as compared to 5 starts in 2022 - with a record of 4-3-0 and over $52k in earnings.
Virginia Korrell spent her winter in Ireland working for trainer Andrew Slattery.
She rode in several point to point races, finishing second in one of them.
Mell Boucher rode mainly for trainer Keri Brion this year, starting 36 times (up from 18 starts in 2022) with a record of 2-4-5 and over $88k in earnings.
Taylor Kingsley had 10 starts in NSA-sanctioned flat races, winning four of those races.
She also had a win on the flat at Delaware Park.
Taylor is spending this winter riding for flat trainer Joseph O'Brien in Ireland.
Taylor Kingsley spent part of this year riding with trainer Shark Hanlon in Ireland.
She rode American owner Pierre Manigault's Chef D'etat to win a bumper at Tramore in Ireland in June - her first win under rules in Ireland.
January saw the launch of TGSF's new online website for hosting art galleries, Steeplechase Gallery, and its inaugural show "The Canvas Horse".
The show featured not only Sam Robinson's work, but also the work of other well established painters, some emerging in the sporting field and some making a jump from great careers in other subjects.
The 2023 Art Show raised almost $10,000 for TGSF and provided valuable marketing for the artists.
The 2024 show will open Jan. 15.
TGSF continued its partnership with the Central Entry Office, taking entries for point to points in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
With the recent passing of CEO founder Will O'Keefe, details on entry taking for Virginia will be ironed out in the near future.
Fear not - we will ensure everyone is in good hands.
We will dearly miss the patience, humor, and gentle guidance of Will O'Keefe - his passing leaves a huge hole in the steeplechase community.
TGSF took entries for nine point-to-points in 2023.
We totaled 260 horse entries (up about 30 entries from 2022) and 136 pony entries (down about 20 entries from 2022), in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Our expenses for Central Entry Office were just under $5,500 for the year, while our income was just over $8,000.
TGSF continued our Developing Rider International Trip to Ireland.
In July, three talented aspiring jockeys traveled to County Tipperary with TGSF consultant Regina Welsh.
They were hosted by Sam Slater and Lornie Forbes.
The 2023 TGSF Developing Rider trip to Ireland participants were Camille deStanley of Leesburg, Va; Scarlet Davies of Monkton, Md; and Sophie O'Brien of Sparks, Md).
“The intention of this trip,” Slater said, “is to introduce young amateur American jockeys to how other parts of the world train flat and jump race horses. We want these up and coming riders to have a chance to make connections with Irish trainers who they normally would otherwise not come in contact with."
The developing riders rode out for several notable Irish trainers, including Pat and Mary Doyle, Jessica Harrington, Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins, Tommy and Fozzy Stack, Shark Hanlon and Enda Bolger.
They also visited Ballydoyle, Coolmore Stud, RACE Academy, Irish National Stud and Berney Brothers Saddlery.
They attended Limerick Races and the Galway Racing Festival and walked the course with jockey Sean Flanagan.
“While it was a bit of a long trip – I was so tired by the end," said deStanley, "it was also way too short. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Irish racing is a league above anything else.”
Reprinted from TGSF
