The Park Hotel Sports Star Award for May was presented this week to Tallow jockey, Mark Beecher. The former showjumper has made great strides since moving to the field of horse racing and May was definitely a golden month for the USA based rider.
In early May in Nashville Tennessee Mark rode the winner of the highly prestigious Mason Houghland Memorial Timber Stakes worth $50,000. The following day Mark won the feature race, the Willowdale Steeplechase, worth $25,000. Later that month he followed up with a great double and when the season ended at the end of May, Mark was crowned as Leading Timber (Jumps) Rider and Overall Leading Rider in Maryland for the season.
Before welcoming Mark and his family to the Park Hotel to receive his award, hotel proprietor, Pierce Flynn, asked that everyone observe a minute’s silence for the late Fr. Moran, chairman of the Park Awards adjudicating panel, who passed away since the last awards’ lunch.
Pierce then went on to congratulate Mark on his excellent exploits in America in the month of May and said ‘it shows that no matter where in the world you compete, if you are from Waterford and you enjoy sporting success then the adjudicating committee will hear about it and they will reward you with a Park Award.’ He went on to wish Mark every success in the future and thanked his family and friends for joining Mark to celebrate his award.
Speaking on behalf the judging panel, Kieran O’Connor, started by admitting that it was a sad day for him and his fellow judges and for Pierce and all associated with the awards as it was the first lunch since the death of the awards’ chairman, Fr. Pat Moran.
“I got a call from Pierce in 1990 saying that he was thinking of starting a sports awards in the hotel and that he’d need a good chairman and that he was thinking of asking Fr. Moran…I said you couldn’t pick a better man and so it proved as Fr. Pat was a brilliant chairman for this awards ever since.”
‘Indeed, the last text I got from Fr. Moran was confirming that he thought Mark was a great choice for the May award and that was him, right up to the end he was fully behind this awards and unfortunately he is not here with us today.
“To Mark and what a month you had in May. We all knew you from your showjumping days but now you’ve established yourself as a top class National Hunt jockey and it’s hard to believe that your great success in America all stemmed from going over to ride one horse. To win the top rider awards for the season just shows how well you are doing and therefore we are delighted to present you with this award today. Your brother Paul won a monthly award a few years ago after winning the Hickstead Derby and of course your cousin, Kevin Phelan the golfer, is a past winner here too, so it’s definitely in the blood.”
Speaking after receiving his award, Mark thanked Pierce Flynn and the staff of the Park Hotel for the beautiful meal and thanked the adjudicating panel, for selecting him as the winner for May. “It’s great to be recognised for your achievements and although I’m based in America I keep a close eye on all the sporting happenings back home and because of that I know the great standard of the sport in Waterford right now and that makes it even better to receive this award.
“I’d also like to thank Kieran (O’Connor) and the judges for holding up this presentation till I was home this week for my sister’s wedding as I was very anxious to be here to receive it myself because it means a lot to me especially when you’re in America you’re a long long way from home and it means a lot to know that even though you are so far away that people at home are still noticing what you are doing and thinking about you. We never forget that we’re from Waterford, probably because our accent never changes, but we are a long way from home and that makes coming home to something like this extra special so thanks very much again,” concluded May award winner, Mark Beecher.
