Norman K. Stye of LoudounNow wrote a feature about Riverdee and Cool Jet’s big year in 2025.
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A Middleburg-based stable has moved to the top of the nation’s steeplechasing ranks, spurred on by Irish-bred Cool Jet’s remarkable comeback year.
Riverdee Stables finished 2025 leading the National Steeplechase owner standings by stacking up 13 wins and more than $500,000 in earnings. That accomplishment was topped off last month when Cool Jet was presented with an Eclipse Award as the nation’s top steeplechase horse by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Both milestones serve as proof of concept for Sean and Anne Clancy who lead a member-based racing organization that expands participation in steeplechase racing at the ownership level.
The veteran equestrians—Sean, a retired jockey and award-winning journalist, and Anne, who came from Alabama to compete in eventing at a time when Loudoun was home to many Olympic team members—married in 2005 and settled in Middleburg to raise their son, Miles.
The idea of running a racing stable, now including 25 horses, grew out of Sean’s life-long involvement with the industry and bloomed with his eye for talent.
Sean grew up in another equine epicenter, Unionville, PA, where his father trained horses for steeplechasing giant George Strawbrige. His jockey career began at a young age; he recalls winning a pony race at Middleburg’s Glenwood Park as a child. Between 1988 and 2000 he recorded 157 wins in 1,064 races with $2.9 million in earnings.
After retiring from the saddle, he founded a publishing company with his brother, Joe, covering the industry through the Steeplechase Times and Saratoga Special.
His connection with trainer Jack Fisher spurred his next career as a bloodstock agent and then stable owner.
“When I stopped riding races, Jack Fisher, who I rode First Call for, was pushing me to find him horses. … So, I started doing that as a side job,” Sean said. “I’d write a story and sell a horse. That is how it started. And then I bought him a couple of nice horses—[Hall of Fame member] Good Night Shirt was one.” Virginia Gold Cup winner Bubble Economy was another, as was Grand National Hurdle Stakes winner Mr. Hot Stuff.
There were times when Sean would see a horse that he sold achieve tremendous success and others when he spotted a horse with potential but couldn’t find a buyer.
“I was just stubborn enough to say, we’ll do it ourselves. So we found partners,” he said.
“I think we learned that trying to do it ourselves, it’s a lot of financial risk, and it’s not really as much fun not to do it with friends,” Anne said. ”When you are selling a lot of horses to people, there are horses you’d rather keep, but you can’t keep them because you can’t buy them all yourself.”
After assembling some partnerships, they developed a model that allowed them to acquire promising horses but spread the risk—and share the fun.
Today, Riverdee Stables has about 50 members, each holding a share of one or more of its 25 horses. A horse can have up to 10 owners.
“We get them a small bit of several horses. So they always have horses running. They always have the opportunity to have a winner, and there is less pressure,” Anne said. “It’s not as much pressure on the horse either, because if the horse needs a break, it’s not their only horse.”
The structure provides an economical way to participate in steeplechasing. “Ultimately, people could have 10% of three horses and it’s not going to cost them as much as would have one fox hunter,” she said.
The ownership access departs from the sport’s traditional structure, which was built on large stables owned by a handful of families—with names like DuPont, Widener and Mellon—who served as patrons of the industry
“That was the model. Now those types of families aren’t really around. They are just not that many,” Sean said.
Now at any steeplechase tailgate, you may be rubbing shoulders with a Riverdee Stables owner.
“A lot of people are local and they love the steeplechase races. They’ve been going to the races for years, and they’ve never even thought about trying to own a horse or getting a piece,” Sean said.
“They love having skin in the game and a reason to have their tailgate now,” Anne said.
“It’s been fun. There are lots of people who are local Virginia equine enthusiasts who love the area and love it because of the rich history of horses, and they’ve been able to enjoy the sport,” Sean said.
Last year, the eyes of the Riverdee Stables group were on Cool Jet.
The horse was bred in Ireland and initially trained by Willie Mullins. After a lackluster showing on the English racing circuit, he was brought to America to work with Riverdee and Jack Fisher in 2022. Cool Jet placed second in his first race at Foxfield and climbed the ladder with a win in his next start, followed by big wins in 2023.
Cool Jet experienced a setback in 2024, starting with a fall at the Middleburg Spring Races and a fourth-place finish in his only other start of the year, with a long recovery break and unfavorable course conditions limiting his opportunities.
There was little reason to expect an Eclipse Award performance in 2025.
“He was nine years old. He was off a terrible year. He made two starts in all of 2024 and finished one of them,” Sean said.
Cool Jet opened the season with an apprentice race at Blue Ridge, finishing third, 25 lengths behind in a four-horse field. But in a handicap race at Foxfield he finished second, running well. Then, with veteran jockey Bernie Dalton aboard, he scored a dominating Commonwealth Cup victory at Great Meadow. That was followed by wins in the Mariann de Tejeda Memorial and the Noel Laing Stakes.
“I can’t say he came from out of nowhere, because we’ve always loved the horse. We always held him in high regard. But it was a big comeback,” Sean said. “He had a really good six-year-old year, a good seven-year-old year, debacle of an eight-year-old year. It would have been hard to say he’s coming back at nine. Most horses aren’t coming into their own at nine,” Sean said.
Cool Jet’s $190,500 in earnings across six starts was enough to boost Riverdee Stables to the top of the owners’ list for the first time.
“We’ve been close a few times. We were second and kind of knocking on the door. So that was special,” Sean said.
While there may have been little reason to expect that outcome, it wasn’t by accident.
“I’m pretty goal-oriented. When I look back at my journal from 2025 about the second or third day in, I wrote a list of things I wanted to do, my resolutions or my goals. And one of them was to be leading owner for steeplechase, and the other one was to have an Eclipse Award,” Sean said. “So that’s a big deal personally for us. But then to see the, see the Riverdee team rally around that and be that enthusiastic for us to win—that’s really special.”
What is ahead for Riverdee in 2026?
It started exceptionally well with a victory in the stable’s first start of the year, a win by Sherminator in a novice hurdle at the Ludlow Racecourse in England.
“Hopefully, Cool Jet will come back as good as he was this year. There’s every bit as much of a chance that he’ll come back as strong as he was last year,” he said.
He said Cyber Ninja could be the stable’s next star after winning two starts in his first season last year. “I think he’s very good. He has a lot of local owners,” Sean said. Another, Ethics, tied last year for the three-year-old championship.
“And we bought a bunch of new ones. We don’t know yet. Ask us again in April.”
