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Today, racehorses being exercised
are an everyday sight in East Garston. 100 years ago, it
was Pounds Farm, high above the village, that was famous
as a training centre. The trainer then was Lord Stalbridge.
In 1934, Stalbridge's ill health saw his string of horses
diminish to just one. By 1937, however, he had re-built
it to 13, and In 1940 he went on to win the Grand National
with Bogskar.The victory was gained in front of one of the
smallest crowds in history, consisting mainly of uniformed
men and women; the war had started 6 months earlier.
Bogskar's jockey, Mervyn Jones, was killed a couple of years
later in a flying accident in service with the RAF. After
the death of Lord Stalbridge in 1949, the training of racehorses
switched from Pounds farm to East Garston Village - to Parsonage
Farm and Mabberlys. Summer Down gallop remains the
same and has been used consistantly throughout the ensuing
years.
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"Bogskar"
with Mervyn Jones aboard,
and Lord Stalbridge on the day of the race.
Photo courtesy of Dawn Tonge
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(Photo by Ken Tarbox)
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(Photo by Ken Tarbox) |
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Gay
Kindersley Riding "Ross Spur" on the
valley gallop he created in 1964
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Photo
courtesy of Gay Kindersley |
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Gay
Kindersley |
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Stan
Moore |
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Gay Kindersley
moved to Parsonage Farm in 1961. Always a colourful character,
he was, and indeed, still is, a very popular and well
respected resident of the village.
The racing world's perfect gentleman was how I once heard
Gay described, and I agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment.
He bought his own horse, [Carrickbeg] from Epsom in 1963,
and subsequently sold a half-share to John Lawrence (
later to become Lord Oaksey ).
Granted a training licence in 1964, Gay introduced two
new gallops to the village. His ensuing success led him
to take out a public licence in the 1973-74 season, when
he trained 22 winners from just fourteen horses.
In 1986,
Gay had his last notable racing success with a horse named
"Pactolus" who won the Midlands Cesarewitch.
The 1988-89 season saw his last runner, "Tommy's
Dream" beaten by a neck.
In 1990 Parsonage Farm was sold to farmer Bill Tulloch,
and
Gay Kindersley retired from race-horse training.
The Tulloch
family now lease the stables at Parsonage Farm, and between
1990-93 Mark Usher was resident trainer there. Menin
Muggeridge followed for a two year spell, after which
time, Stan Moore, took up residence.
Stan trained a string of some 40 horses and has produced
almost 50 winners under both Flat and National Hunt rules.
In 2006 He vacated Parsonage Farm and moved to Lambourn
- to "Uplands" the former home of legendary
trainer 'Fred Winter'
During his time at Parsonage Stables, Stan increased the
facilities quite substancially. Horse walkers were installed
and turn-out facilities now include an assortment of pens
and small paddocks, plus a 10 furlong polytrack and extensive
turf gallops. |
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Early Morning on the gallops
(Photo
by Roy Hunt) |
Ownership of Mabberleys
switched to Mark Bradstock in 1988. Mark dismantled the
old wooden boxes and replaced them with a modern brick built
stable complex that included a hostelry and a modern detached
house for the Head Lad.
It was during this period that The East Garston Racing Club
was formed. The 25 members of the group took on joint ownership
of a brown gelding named Garston la Gaffe, who became known
by the much simpler name of "Timmy".
He ran in 17 races from December 1990
to March 1994 winning a novice hurdle at Uttoxeter and being
placed in another eight races. He eventually retired after
a tendon injury and returned to his native home of Ireland. |
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(Photo by Roy Hunt) |
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(Photo
courtesy of the Newbury Weekly News)
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and Sarah moved on to The Manor at Letcombe Bassette near
Wantage in 1994, and Mabberleys was leased to Jaqui Doyle
for approximately eighteen Months. Jaqui had moved
from stables at Compton where she had trained two Aintree
winners. Ultimately, Jaqui left to train at Lambourn and
for a while Mabberleys remained empty. |
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Then, Vic Soane, the former National Hunt jockey, who
had been with Fred Winter in his riding days, took up
the lease for Mabberleys....Vic trained many winners
from here and the Flat racing season of 1998 provided
the village with it's first French Group One winner
when "My Best Valentine" won the Prix de L'Abbaye.
The horse returned to a hero's welcome.
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Pictured Left :
My Best Valentine, ridden by Ray Cochrane
winning the 1998 Prix de L'Abbaye de Longchamp
(Photo
courtesy of Gay Kindersley)
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Mabberleys then passed
on to Irish trainer Pat Murphy. Pat originally trained
in the Bristol area but moved to East Garston in the
year 2001. Winning the 2001 Welsh National with "Supreme
Glory" is the best win of his training career so
far.
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(Photo by Ken Tarbox) |
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Mask
Cottage, is currently the the home of the James family
and is the oldest house in East Garston. It has been
connected with horses for several decades and in the
mid 1960s, Rosie Lomax started training there with only
five boxes. She produced "Hart Royal" to win
three novice chases in a row for owner Lesley Denton.
Ron Gaunt trained
under permit at Mask Cottage when Rosie moved on, until
Charlie James took over in 1970. Charlie originally
used the stables for liveries, breaking and selling
horses for three years before taking out a permit to
train, In 1975, he was granted a public licence.
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(Photo by Roy Hunt
: Artwork by Ken Tarbox) |
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most notable National Hunt successes were "Foreign
Legion" and "Spanish Sovereign", which
won the Haddon Gold Cup and the Sir Kenneth Pattern Hurdle
respectively. On the Flat "Allando" won the
Group Three Prix Pysche, and "Moon over Miami"
won listed
races before being sold to America.
The James family have all been successful riders within
their own right, with Charlie's wife Ginny, winning on
the flat, and their son Andrew riding point-to-point winners.
Edward James rode many winners under rules, as well as
being assistant trainer to
Charlie Brooks in Lambourn before taking over from his
father. Ed has already made a name for himself in the
training world, by sending out a continual flow of winners,
including "Country Star" and "Hang 'Em
Out To Dry"
AS
of 2004, Ed no longer trains horses for a living and has
channeled his energies into other fields. Among which
is the 600 mile charity walk he undertook in the name
of multiple sclerosis and the National Hospital Development
Foundation. The press article below takes up the story
and is re-produced here by kind permission of 'The Newbury
Weekly News'.
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Ex-trainer
finds form for charity
A FORMER race horse trainer has walked
just under 600 miles to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis
(MS) charities a condition which his mother suffers
from.
Edward James, aged 34, from East Garston, has spent
five-and-a-half weeks walking national trails all over
England and Wales, including the Pennine Way and Hadrian’s
Wall, raising £20,000 in the process. He was joined
by his springer spaniel Wander on the trip,
before his canine friend had to go home with an injury
to his paw. Mr James’ father Charlie also joined
him for four days, and a further 20 people joined the
walker on the last leg of the journey, which took him
from the Ridgeway to his parents’ house in East
Garston.
Mr James said that it was nice to ‘get back to
reality’ and that there had been a welcome party
for him upon his return. A further party is set for
Sunday, August 29, at the Queens Arms in East Garston
at 8pm. Tickets are £5 with proceeds split between
the MS Society and the National Hospital Development
Foundation.
Edward
James upon his return home after walking almost
600 miles to raise funds for charity. |
Thanks
to The Newbury Weekly News
for granting permission to reproduce this article
(Photo courtesy of the Newbury Weekly News)
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Today,
East Garston is well represented in the racing industry
. In addition to two very successful stables, Residents
include Jockeys, a Jockey Club steward , Newbury, Bath
and Windsor racecourse stewards, and , rumour has it,
a fair number of intrepid punters. |
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