On the last Saturday in October, the International Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow showcased National Steeplechase Association champions, human and equine, during an exciting afternoon of seven races, all but one over hurdle or timber jumps. Trainer Jack Fisher dominated the meet with three winners. Best of all, the unbeatable #1 NSA trainer triumphed in the International Gold Cup Timber Stakes with Schoodic, who only started over timber this year but has excelled beyond all reasonable expectations. It simply added more glory and cachet to Jack's eighth consecutive year as top NSA trainer.

When congratulated for his well-deserved accolades, Fisher replied, "I've had a good year. I have nice horses."

Classic Fisher understatement. Of course, he has very nice owners, too, such as Edith R. Dixon, breeder of Schoodic, graded stakes winner over hurdles. The 2010 bay gelding (by Tiznow out of Aunt Henny, by Hennessy) took a career change from hurdles to timber when Mrs. Dixon realized at the end of the 2018 season that Schoodic wasn't as keen anymore to tackle the shorter, faster hurdle courses. Dixon's passion is for breeding hurdle horses, but her trainer's family loves timber racing. The rest, as they say, is history.

Schoodic, first-season timber horse and newly minted Gold Cup winner, is a gift horse. He won his debut over timber with jockey Hadden Frost at My Lady's Manor in Monkton, Md., literally in his backyard. In 2019 Schoodic won five and placed second once in six NSA timber starts against serious veterans, horses, and riders. And this gift horse is all in the family, to boot, taking to his new job with gusto, literally leaping into the top 10 over timber for his new owner, Dolly Fisher, his trainer's mother.

"Edie gave Schoodic to me with the stipulation that if he was not a good timber horse, he got turned out at our farm," recalled Dolly, "All the credit for our success goes to Jack. His horses have fun jumping all the many jumps he has and great gallops."

Jack is a fourth-generation horseman, the son of Dolly and Dr. John R. S. Fisher, founder of Fair Hill Training Center (Md.), who grew up with ponies, horses, hunting and racing. He knows horses inside and out. He's a fearless rider, enthusiastic fox-hunter, champion trainer, and his career jockey record of 109 wins, 94 seconds, and 50 thirds in 493 starts include the great Saluter, owned by the late Mrs. Henry Stern. Jack trained and rode Saluter to six consecutive Virginia Gold Cups and two International Gold Cups – that's some longevity for any horse. Jack has tons of personal experience racing across the Gold Cup's hallowed ground at Great Meadow, over hurdles and timber—he knows the lay of the land. He's one of the best when it comes to riding speed, encouraging it, and producing confident horses.

The Fisher team enjoyed an outstanding day at Great Meadow, dominating the results from the first race when Jack sent out BrianBakesCookies, owned by Mrs. S.K. Johnston Jr. (Tn.), and ridden by Willie McCarthy to a decisive 4¾-length victory over a field of 10 in the Virginia Equine Alliance Sport of Kings Maiden Hurdle.

In the "Zeke" Ferguson Memorial $75.000 (Gr. II) Hurdle Stakes, Fisher-trained horses produced the one-two finish (what an exacta!): Riverdee Stable's Gibralfaro (IRE), ridden by Michael Mitchell, blasted across the line 3½-lenghts in front of Harold Via's Hinterland (FRA), Willie McCarthy in the irons. Gotta wonder if anyone bet that exacta and what it was worth on the Pari-Mutuel…

On the heels of that one-two finish, Jack saw Schoodic and Hadden Frost onto the course for the feature timber stakes. Schoodic won by 2½ lengths, relegating to second place Ballybristol Farm's Andi'Amu, this year's division leader and last spring's Virginia Gold Cup winner, trained by Leslie Young and ridden by Jack Doyle, leading NSA jockey for races won, second-best for money won. Irv Naylor's Super Saturday placed third.

Locals earning some Gold Cup day glory include trainer Neil Morris, who prepared Donna T. Roger's Dapper Dan, ridden by Graham Watters to score a 5½-length win in the prestigious $40,000 Steeplethon Timber Stakes, second to Mercoeur (Ballybristol Farm), Doyle in the irons, trained by Leslie Young. A field of ten started in the Old Dominion Turf Championship (VA Bred or VA Sired Flat) and Accountable, owned by Lady Olivia North Cliff, trained by Carla Morgan, won by a head over Flying Elvis Stable's Vincent Van Gogo, trained by Neil Morris.

NSA horse racing is fun, and Gold Cup at Great Meadow – you gotta experience it first hand. Gather your besties and family, entertain the boss or some potential clients. You can get up a group and share a tailgate space or attend general admission. Mark your 2020 calendars with Virginia Gold Cup in May and International Gold Cup in October at Great Meadow.

You don't have to know a thing about horses, just enjoy their beauty and athleticism as they stream across the green grass. There are Jack Russell Terrier races. Hat contests—think Ascot and the Royals. Tailgate competitions. Great photo ops. Alfresco festival for kids of all ages. Exciting good fun. You can even bet on it.