The Monticello Goshen Chapter USHWA will be proud to honour Jerry Fielding with the chapter’s Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award. He’ll receive his accolade when the scribes hold their 55th annual Award Banquet at the Fountains on Sands Road in Middletown, New York.
A longtime member of Historic Track’s Board of Directors, Fielding has been invaluable, especially when the racing seasons roll around.
Fielding, as a member of the tracks race committee, almost singled handedly produces the matinee races in June which are a prelude to the annual Grand Circuit meet in early July.
Fielding has a harness racing presiding judges license for county fair racing which he uses to produce the matinee racing programs. In June he presides over, and takes entries for, the Sunday matinee races. Prior to the entry box closing, Fielding outlines the race conditions and then seeds the entries accordingly.
Annually, before the racing programs get underway, Fielding secures the photo-finish patrol, the timers, the recording judge, the associate judges, and he dons his presiding judge cap and oversees the races and his decisions are final.
“It gives me, and I’m sure other board members, great pleasure to be able to give local owners and trainers an opportunity to race and educate their two-year-olds before the New York Sire Stakes get underway,” he said
However, Fielding is also a pertinent part of the Grand circuit racing programs.
“I line up the employees and officials for the Grand Circuit races, too, but I don’t work as a judge unless in emergency cases,” he explained. “I want to alleviate any conflict of interest.”
Nevertheless, one of the Grand Circuit races that Fielding has been responsible for is the annual Hall of Fame drivers race, which, in recent decades, has not only been unique to Historic Track, but is always the race that is the biggest fan favourite.
“It isn’t always an easy thing to ask trainers to ship their trotters to Goshen for the Hall of Fame Race, but by and large, the $10,000 purse offered helps immensely,” Fielding acknowledged.
An advocate of amateur racing , Fielding has been an amateur driver for over 30 years. He is a charter member of the CKG Billings Amateur Drivers Series and served as its vice president for over 25 years.
“But I began my driving career right here at Historic Track in the bartender races,” he chuckled.
Fielding, from Monticello, New York, first competed in purse races in 1981, and over the years from limited seasonal starts, he has driven 63 winners and has long been a proponent of amateur races.
With an assist from Joe Faraldo in the mid-1980s, Fielding founded, and is president of, the Catskill Amateur Driving Club which is based at Monticello Raceway.
“Joe drew up all the rules, regulations and by-laws for the Catskill Club. We have races at Monticello, Goshen and at Tioga Downs,” Fielding explained.
“Some of today’s top drivers began in the Catskill Amateur Club,” Fielding added. “They include George Brennan, Jordan Stratton, Jimmy Taggart Jr., Danny Cappello Jr. and Jimmy Devaux, to name a few.”
Asked about receiving the Distinguished Service Award named for the former first lady of Orange County Amy Bull Crist, Fielding was quick to say, “I (am) tremendously honoured. I love Goshen and what it stands for and how important it is to (the) standardbred industry. Goshen is to harness racing what baseball is to Cooperstown.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of Historic Track and help to continue its legacy for future generations.”
(With files from USHWA)