Fiona Goodwin
Assistant Trainer
Who is Fiona Goodwin
Originally from County Kerry in Ireland, Fiona grew up in a large family on the family farm. She was raised around horses; her father was a top showjumper. Her development was reinforced with his drive for perfection and attention to detail necessary for success.
A Big Move
As a young adult, Fiona left for the U.S. and got her first job at Arnemann Farms in Kentucky. There, she worked in breaking and developing young thoroughbreds. Through a family introduction, she was introduced to Fergie Sutherland, who trained Go Go Gallant and Imperial Call.
After getting her feet wet with racing, she moved on to the race track environment and broke her maiden at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
The Next Chapter
After meeting and marrying Robert Mallari, they two ventured to Florida and New York working with Christophe Clement, Nick Zito, James Bond, and Rick Violette, just to name a few.
Fiona and Robert took a step back after several years with demanding race track schedules to raise their son, Sean. They settled into farm life and managed her brother’s farm in Upstate New York. There they led the rehabilitation or freshening for several of the industries leading trainers and owners and were able to work with horses like Flashy Bull, Pass the Punch, It’s a Celebration, Warrior Girl, and more.
Returning to the Race Track
Fiona and her family missed the race track environment so she picked up right where she left off. She nestled back into the top of the industry and hasn’t looked back since. She’s been Jena’s assistant for more than 6 years and is involved with every aspect of the team and the mission to advance the racing industry by including more women in leadership roles.