Janon Fisher III, a champion steeplechase rider and horse trainer, died of heart failure Sept. 9 at his Freeland home. He was 90. Born and raised in Baltimore, Mr. Fisher grew up fox hunting and training horses with his father, Janon Fisher Jr. His mother was Margie James Fisher. He attended Gilman School until the…

MIDDLEBURG, Va., September 6, 2024— The Virginia Fall Races will honor longtime race meet director and voice of Virginia steeplechasing, Will O’Keefe, with the inaugural running of the Will O’Keefe Memorial, a $50,000 hurdle stakes for three-year-olds, at Glenwood Park on Oct. 12. The hurdle feature offers the first stakes opportunity for the three-year-old class…

Albemarle County, Virginia – Cassiopeia Foundation 501c(3) is proud to announce the purchase of the Foxfield property in Albemarle County, ensuring the preservation of the historic site, fulfilling the dreams of founder Mariann de Tejeda, and providing a stable platform for the continued operations of the independent Foxfield Racing LLC 501c(3). The Foxfield property, with…

Lewis Wiley, a respected horseman, cattle farmer, and long-time Fauquier County, Va., resident, died Aug. 11 at age 86 at his family’s Gordonsdale Farm in The Plains, Va. Gordonsdale campaigned numerous horses including steeplechaser Canyon Road (pictured), who was multiple stakes placed over timber for trainer Chris Kolb. Wiley lived at the farm, which his…

Steeplechase racing’s seminal day on Oct. 19 has a significant change that honors the legendary “King of Far Hills.” The crown jewel of American steeplechasing will again feature a seven race, all-stakes card, this year worth $700,000. But along with the familiar contests, anchored by the Grade 1 $250,000 American Grand National, the meet will…