The Monticello Goshen Chapter USHWA will be proud to honor
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, NY.
A longtime member of Historic Track’s Board of Directors,
Jerry 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.
Jerry 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 2-year-olds before the New York Sire Stakes get underway.
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
favorite.
“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 acknowledges .
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 their 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, NY, first competed in purse races
in 1981 and over the years , from limited seasonal starts, he had driven 63
winners and has long been a proponent of amateur races.
With an assist from Joe Faraldo, in the mid 1980’s 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.”
A family man, Jerry and Kathy have been together 50 years.
They are the proud parents of Nicki ,a teacher at the Cooke School in
Monticello; Kristen, a CPA in New Mexico; and GR, an engineer in
Colorado. And they are grandparents to five.
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 tremendously honored. I love Goshen and what it stands for and how
important it is to 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.”
