Horse of the Year – Mecklenberg

Novice Timber Horse of the Year – Mr. Tack

Leading Trainer – Tara Elmore

Overall Leading Rider – Mark Beecher

Leading Timber Rider – Mark Beecher

Leading Amateur Rider – Mark Beecher

Leading Female Jockey – Mary Motion

Foxhunter Timber Champion – Darren O’Brien

Lady Timber Champion – tie between Amy Mullen and Bethany Baumgardner

Jr. Horse Rider – Gabrielle Bernier

Jr. Horse Rider (non-Thoroughbred) – Sydney Rutledge

Small Pony Rider – tie between Kellie Witte and Hannah O’Brien

Medium Pony Rider – Elizabeth Scully

Large Pony Rider – Heather Rohwein

Overall Pony Rider – Kellie Witte

Junior Scholarship awards as well as other special awards will be announced at the Awards Reception on June 14. To get your tickets, click here.

Lear Heights won the Washington DC International Open Flat race with Bruce Daley up for owner Indian Run Farm and trainer Eva D. Smithwick.

Zoe Valvo and Questioning won the second race, Travilah Perpetual Cup Restricted Young Adult Flat. Zoe is the owner and Nicki Valvo is the trainer.

The Alice Keech Perpetual Plate Maiden Hurdle was won by Extraextraordinary, ridden by Jeff Murphy for trainer Doug Fout and owners Clorevia Farm.

Mark Beecher piloted The Rall to win the Preakness Open Timber for Rosbrian Farm and trainer Tara Elmore.

Molly Connell and Got The Spirit, (trainer John W. Boniface Jr, owner Bonita Farm) took home the win for the Preakness Ladies Open Flat.

The sixth race, the Preakness Open Hurdle was won by Grantor (owner Caves Farm, trainer Mark O’Dwyer), ridden by Ross Geraghty.

Eric Poretz won the Preakness Novice Timber aboard Scanden Stable’s Mr Tack for trainer Patrick Worrall.

The pony races ended the day with Hannah O’Brien and Emmy-Lou winning the smalls for owner Mint Meadows Farm and trainer Suzanne Stettinius. Golden Honey and Elizabeth Scully won the mediums. Erin Swope rode Jordan to win the larges.

The race day began with the Cattail River Junior Field Master Chases. The ponies were divided into two groups with the smalls running on their own and the mediums and larges running together. Kellie Witte won both races; smalls with Missy and mediums with Annabelle. Jeremey Henley won the larges aboard Rocket.

Gabrielle Bernier raced ahead of Maggie Herzog to win the Junior Field Master Chase horse division. She rode Sailmaker for Mint Meadows Farm for the win.

In the third race of the afternoon, the Alda Clark Plate Novice Timber, Garryowen Star (blue/orange silks) and It’s A G Man stayed close until the final stretch when Mark Beecher pushed Garryowen Star ahead for the win. The Irish horse is owned by Rosbrain Farm and trained by Tara Elmore.

The fourth and sixth races of the day were combined. Catherine Frederick rode her own Arin’s Myst as the only entry in the Tying The Knot Foxhunter Timber and finished the combined race in second place. Five Howard County-Iron Bridge Hounds members made up the field for the Founders’ Cup. Jennifer Dunst (pictured right) lead from start to finish aboard her own Supersonic to be the first one across the line and the first female across the line. Trae Reuwer rode Impressive Return for Vixen Valley to be the first gentleman across the line and Susan Warfield rode her own Tiny as the first non-Thoroughbred to finish.

Governor’s Cup Standings

This last race has moved things around a bit in the 2012 standings with only one race left on the series calendar. Here are the top three for each award.

• Horse of the Year – Mecklenburg (12), Battle Op (9), Nondo (6.5)
• Novice Timber Horse – Catch The Echo and Garryowen Star (6.5), Mr Tack, Sgt. Bart, Dakota Slew and John Wyatt (6)
• Leading Trainer – Tara Elmore (19), Blythe Miller Davies (14), William Meister, Tom Voss and Lilli Kurtinecz (13)
• Overall Leading Rider, Leading Timber Rider, Leading Amateur Rider – Mark Beecher (25), Jackson Roberts (14), Connor Hankin (13)
• Leading Female Rider – Mary Motion (6), Keri Brion (1.5), Amy Mullen (0.5)
• Foxhunter Timber – Darren O’Brien (12), Catherine Frederick (6), Marjorie Warden and Alexander Leventhal (3)
• Lady Timber – Bethany Baumgardner and Amy Mullen (6), Mary Motion (3)
• Junior Horse – Gabrielle Bernier (22), Zoe Valvo (12), Kellie Witte (7)
• Junior Small Pony – Kellie Witte (18), Hannah O’Brien (12), Daisy Fenwick, Alice Nolen-Walston and Anne Chalmers (3)
• Junior Medium Pony – Kellie Witte (21), Elizabeth Scully (16), Ross Mace (11)
• Junior Large Pony – Heather Rohwein (22), Jeremey Henley (19), Erin Swope (15)
• Overall Junior Rider – Kellie Witte (46), Gabrielle Bernier (25), Heather Rohwein (22)
• Junior non-TB – Sydney Rutledge (6), Saddiq Myers (3)

Kellie Witte is at the top of the small pony, medium pony and overall junior rider standings.

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There were 12 starters at this year’s race with six finishing. Twill Do in first, Battle Op second, Bon Caddo third, Professor Maxwell fourth, Fort Henry fifth and Prospectors Strike sixth.

Check out more photos from the Hunt Cup here.

• Private Attack (2011 Maryland Hunt Cup winner)
• Western Fling (won last weekend at Fair Hill)
• Twill Do (2010 Maryland Hunt Cup winner)
• Fort Henry (2011 Howard County Cup winner)
• Battle Op (won at Elkridge-Harford this April)
• Haddix (2011 Legacy Chase winner)
• And the Eagle Flys (won the Grand National last weekend)
• Prospectors Strike (last win was at the Grand National in 2010)
• Bon Caddo (2011 NSA Timber Horse of the Year)
• Voler Bar Nuit (last won at Cheshire in 2010)
• Professor Maxwell (won at Cheshire this past March)
• More Fascinatoin  (won at Orange County in 2011)
• Volle Nolle (was part of the 2011 Foxhall Team Chase winning team)

Gates open at 11am with a 4pm post time. For more details, click here.

Current Governor’s Cup Standings (as of the Grand National)

• Mecklenberg jumps to the lead for Steeplechase Horse of the Year with 12 points. Battle Op, Incomplete and And The Eagles Fly each have 6 points.
• There is no change to the Novice Timber Horse standings with Catch The Echo still in the lead by 0.5 points.
• Blythe Miller Davies is now in the lead of the Leading Trainer standings with 14 points. Tom Voss and Tara Elmore are tied with 13 points each.
• The Overall Leading Rider, Leading Timber Rider and Leading Amateur Rider standings remain the same with Mark Beecher still on top.
• The Leading Female Jockey standings also remain the same with Mary Motion in the lead.
• Darren O’Brien stays on top of the Foxhunter Timber standings.
• Amy Mullen is still tied with Bethany Baumgardner for the Lady Timber standings.
• Gabrielle Bernier stretches her lead in the Junior Horse Rider standings and now has 12 points.
• Hannah O’Brien takes the lead of the Small Pony Rider standings with 12 points.
• Kellie Witte jumps to the top of the Medium Pony Rider standings with 12 points.
• Heather Rohwein remains in the lead of the Large Pony Rider standings.

Mecklenburg grabbed another win for the spring season for Rosbrian Farm and trainer Tara Elmore with Mark Beecher on board for the Benjamin H. Murray Memorial Amateur Allowance Timber. Jackson Roberts piloted Brands Hatch to win the Western Run Plate Amateur Apprentice Timber for owner Gerry L. Brewster and trainer Blythe Miller Davies.

In the pony races, Hannah O’Brien and Emmy-Lou earned the win for the smalls. Kellie Witte and Annabelle won again in the mediums and Erin Swope raced to the win for the larges. Zoe Valvo rode Coastal Alert to win the horse class.

For more Grand National photos, click here.

Zoe Valvo and Coastal Alert race to the front to win the Thomas L. Macfarlane Memorial Junior Field Masters Chase horse division.

Jackson Roberts (orange/black silks) aboard Brands Hatch, winners of the Western Run Plate Amateur Apprentice Timber.

Mecklenburg with Mark Beecher up, winner of the Benjamin H. Murray Memorial Amateur Allowance Timber.

Kellie Witte winning again in the medium pony division aboard Annabelle.

Robert Kinsley’s Incomplete won the My Lady’s Manor Timber Stakes by over 3-lengths. Joey Elliott was in the irons for trainer Ann Stewart.

Darren Nagle guided Dakota Slew to victory in the John Rush Streett Memorial Amateur Maiden Timber for owner Magalen Bryant and trainer Richard Valentine.

Mary Motion piloted her own Woodmont to win the John Schapiro Memorial Amateur Apprentice Timber for trainer Neil Morris.

As the Maryland steeplechase season is at about the halfway point, here are the current standings for the Governor’s Cup series…

Horse of the Year: There is a three-way tie between Battle Op, Mecklenbeg and Incomplete (each with 6 points)
Novice Timber Horse: Catch the Echo is in the lead with 6.5 points over Mr. Tack, Sgt. Bart, John Wyatt and Dakota Slew, each with 6 points.
Leading Trainer: Tom Voss has the lead with 13 points. Lilli Kurtinecz has 9 points and Jack Fisher has 7.5 points.
Overall Leading Rider: Mark Beecher is currently in the lead with 12 points. James Slater has 10 points and Connor Hankin has 9 points.
Leading Timber Rider: same standings as Overall Rider
Leading Amateur Rider: same standings as Overall Rider
Leading Female Jockey: Mary Motion is in first with 6 points followed by Keri Brion with 1.5 points and Amy Mullen with 0.5 points.
Foxhunter Timber: Darren O’Brien has 12 points for the lead with Majorie Warden and Alexandra Leventhal each having 3 points.
Lady Timber Rider: Amy Mullen and Bethany Baumgardner are tied for first with 6 points each. Mary Motion has 3 points.
Junior Horse Rider: Gabrielle Bernier is in first with 12 points. Kellie Witte is in second with 6 points. Maggie Herzog and Juliette Chalmers each have a point.
Small Pony Rider: Hannah O’Brien and KEllie Wittie are tied for first with 6 points each. Daisy Fenwick has 3 points.
Medium Pony Rider: There is a three-way tie between Elizabeth Scully, Anne Chalmers and Ross Mace, each with 7 points.
Large Pony Rider: Heather Rohwein has the lead with 12 points. Jeemey Henley is in second with 7 points. Jenna Baldwin and Erin Swope each have 3 points.