Herminio Esguerra’s Quaker Ridge and Leonardo M. Javier Jr.’s Obra Maestra won big at the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (Marho) Awards, which recognized the best of 2018’s horseracing participants in a ceremony held at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club last night.
Marho, which marked its 45th anniversary last Feb. 5, gave awards for the second time since last year for Stallion of the Year, Horse Owner of the Year, and Horse of the Year. This year they added the Champion 2YO and Champion 3YO awards.
Esguerra’s Quaker Ridge was recognized as Stallion of the Year for the second year in a row. Javier’s Obra Maestra received both Horse of the Year and Champion 2YO of the Year nods after earning P3.48 million in prizes in 2018.
Horseowner of the Year was SC Stockfarm, Inc. for contributing P128,180 in dues to Marho representing 1 percent of the stable’s earnings from racing. James Albert C. Dichaves’s Ava’s Dream was recognized as Champion 3YO of the Year for earning almost P1.56 million.
The awardees received gleaming mixed-metal horse sculptures designed and crafted by sculptor Daniel de la Cruz. The Stallion of the Year, Horse of the Year, and Horseowner of the Year trophies are statues of a full horse figure, while the Champion 2YO and 3YO trophies are silver and gold horse heads respectively.
Educated at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, De la Cruz took the magnificent form of the horse as his inspiration. He described the trophies as “one-of-a-kind sculptures, handmade and sculpted from a variety of special metals, from the base up till the horse.”
He added, “I normally do not accept projects to create trophies and awards but I feel privileged to have been given a chance to create these special works.”
Dichaves, who is Marho president, thanked all the sponsors in his closing remarks and outlined the organization’s plans going forward. In the coming months, he said, Marho will be staging new races – the President’s Cup, the Mayor Sandy Javier Cup, and the Mayor Benhur Abalos Cup.
The Javier Cup honors Leonardo M. Javier Jr., mayor of Javier, Leyte, and long-time chairman of Marho, while the Abalos Cup recognizes lawyer Benjamin Abalos Jr., former mayor and congressman of Mandaluyong City and one of the most active and successful Marho past presidents.
Marho manager Ancy Palma and staffers Jhune Javier, Eric Borja, and Onofre Adducul did an excellent job of managing the event attended by some 70 MARHO directors, members, and their guests.
Marho’s other board members are Antonio V. Tan, vice-president; Reli De Leon, secretary; Antonio V. de Ubago Jr., treasurer; Victor V. Ferrer Jr., auditor; and Jeci Lapus, Macario Asistio, Marlon Cunanan, Vicente Go Bon, and Dr. Nick Cruz, directors. The group has 89 active members.
Marho was founded in 1974. Its first chairman was Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., who also helped establish the government’s Philippine Racing Commission that same year.
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