Woodville Award winner Ashton Williams

Mandy and George Mahoney’s Rosbrian Farm (Glyndon) topped the 2018 National Steeplechase Association’s Owner list by a wide margin with  $712,050 earnings for 2018. These earnings came from 14 wins over 54 starts.

Leading the farm’s money earners was Eclipse Award winner Zanjabeel, co-owned with Wendy and Ben Griswold’s Meadow Run Farms. The English-bred gelding, trained by Ricky Hendriks, won both the $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois (G1) and $175,000 Lonesome Glory Handicap (G1) in 2018.

The Rosbrian Farm-owned Caldbeck was named NSA Champion Three-Year-Old. Another English import, the 2015 gelding won the Far Hill’s $50,000 Gladstone Stakes and the Steeplechase at Charleston earning $45,000 over fences here in the U.S.

Doc Cebu picked up his second straight Timber Championship this year. Owned by Charles Fenwick, Jr., Michael Hankin, and Charles Noell, Doc Cebu is trained by Jack Fisher. Fisher won his seventh straight Champion Trainer By Wins title and was also named NSA’s Leading Timber Trainer.

Jury Duty, owned by Sideways Syndicate and trained by Irish horseman Gordon Elliott, won the Lonesome Glory Award. His big win of the season came with the 3 ¼ length victory in the $450,000 Grand National (G1) at Far Hills in New Jersey.

Iranistan, owned by Hudson River Farm, won the Champion Novice Horse title earning $145,000 in 2018. Trained by Racing Hall of Fame member Jonathan Sheppard, the new-to-jumping horse won the $125,000 Marcellus Frost Champion Hurdle at Iroquois.

The Life’s Illusion Filly and Mare Champion was Willow U. Owned by Check Mark Stables and trained by Richard Valentine, she topped the $45,000 Virginia Gold Cup Allowance Hurdle against all male competitors.

Darren Nagle garnered his second straight Champion Jockey title with 17 wins in 2018. Nagle also took home the Leading Timber Jockey title.

Ross Geraghty earned his second Champion Jockey by Earnings title in his overall best season by earnings with $716,100.

Two-time Maryland Hunt Cup winning jockey Eric Poretz was NSA’s Leading Apprentice Jockey and Champion Amateur Jockey.

Irv Naylor continues to dominate the timber titles for owners, earning his 10th Champion Timber Owner title.

Finally, Ashton Williams and Reggie Williams were both honored with the Woodville Award for unsung workers whose dedication and diligence are essential to steeplechase racing. Ashton works for Joe Davies’ stable while Reggie is from Jimmy Day’s stable.

To read more about this year’s winners, click here: https://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/news/champions-honored-at-awards-dinne…