All the King's horses - the regiment with a racing pedigree | Trainer Magazine | European Trainer Article Index

Aug 31

Aug 31 All the King's horses - the regiment with a racing pedigree

THE King’s Royal Hussars pride themselves on their rich heritage, and its light-hearted, well- disciplined and professional approach has been their hallmark for years. With many of their ranks filled with sons, brothers, and grandsons of former members, there is a strong family feel to the organisation. Commanded by Colonel Alex Potts, KRH are garrisoned in Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth. They are equipped with Challenger II main battle tanks, the first version of which was brought into service by The Royal Hussars in 1982. Although the KRH are part of a modern army, their alliance with the horse very much lives in its history. It was an officer in the Tenth Hussars, Edward Hartopp, who in 1869 first introduced polo to England when he organised a game at Aldershot. Their current Colonel, David Woodd, is the Chief Executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association. However, it is their history with the thoroughbred that is the focus of this article. Sainfoin was owned by a Fourteenth Hussar and is the only Epsom Derby winner ever owned by a serving officer. Despite having been bred at Queen Victoria’s Hampton Court Stud, Sainfoin was sold as a yearling to trainer John Porter and later to Sir James Miller for £6,000 after Porter thought he hadn’t shown sufficient ability to be a Derby horse. However on 4th June, 1890, the colt defied odds of 100-15 to win the race by three-quarters of a length. To this day, Sainfoin appears in many pedigrees through his son Rock Sand and his daughter Bromus, the dam of influential stallion Phalaris. There is a silver statue of Sainfoin by Adrian Jones in the Officers’ Mess, which also houses a portrait of Master Robert, winner of the 1924 Grand National for the Earl of Airlie of the Tenth; and a fine portrait, again by Jones, of Persimmon, owned by the Prince of Wales, who had the honorary title of Colonel of the 10th Royal Hussars from 1863-1901, until he became Colonel-in-Chief. Persimmon won many races including the Epsom Derby and St Leger in 1896, and the Ascot Gold Cup in 1897. The Grand Military Gold Cup, the most prestigious steeplechase open only to military owners and jockeys, was started in 1841. Officers from the KRH and its antecedent regiments have a remarkable record in the race. Colonel Peter Payne-Gallwey was one of the best amateur jockeys of his era, when amateur racing was probably at its strongest. Not only did he win the 1933 Grand Military Gold Cup on Backsight, but in one season he had 14 winners from 80 rides under rules, during two months of leave. As a result, many questioned whether he was a jockey or a soldier. He not only commanded the Eleventh but also won three Distinguished Service Orders (DSOs) during the Second World War. Retiring from military service after the war, Payne-Gallwey trained from Lambourn and recorded a unique double in Goodwood’s Stewards Cup with Shy Diver in 1967 and 1968, a feat that has not been achieved since. Captain Mark Roddick of the Tenth Hussars was another smart amateur jockey of the 1930s, owning and riding consecutive winners of the Grand Military Gold Cup from 1927 to 1929, on three different horses. One of the Tenth’s most distinguished officers was Brigadier Roscoe Harvey, who was considered one of most talented cavalry commanders of the Second World War, with three DSOs. Harvey was a superlative horseman, so much so that the 26-time champion jockey Sir Gordon Richards described him as “the greatest man racing has known in my lifetime.” Harvey rode at the Cheltenham Festival and in the Grand National. Sir Piers Bengough, who was to become the "Her Majesty's Representative" at Ascot from 1982 and 1997, was an accomplished amateur, with more than 30 winners while serving in the Tenth and Royal Hussars. He won the Grand Military four times, including three consecutive victories (1970-72) aboard his own Charles Dickens, the last two years as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was one of only two individuals to win the race while carrying that rank. Much to his annoyance, Bengough was beaten into second place in 1973 by the Regiment’s doctor, Major David Chesney. Bengough also rode in four Grand Nationals – all on April Rose. Their best effort was an eleventh place finish in 1965. One the biggest bloodstock names of the 20th century, Sir Philip Payne-Gallwey – a cousin of Peter’s – was commissioned into the Eleventh in 1957. He joined the British Bloodstock Agency (BBA) in the mid-1960s and went on to manage and advise Stavros Niarchos’s racing organisation. In this role he had plenty of success, perhaps the greatest being his purchase of Nureyev in 1978 for $1.3-million at the Keeneland July yearling sale. Nureyev was disqualified from his impressive win in the 2,000 Guineas. Syndicated to stand at stud in Kentucky for $14 million after a season in France, he sired over 20 champions. ‘The Captain’ Tim Forster was another Eleventh Hussar to have a successful career in racing. Forster was not only an amateur jockey, but as a National Hunt trainer had 1,346 winners, including three Grand National winners, from 1962 to 1998. His first National victor was Well To Do, who was the race’s first winner to be owned by its trainer, in 1972. His other winners were Ben Nevis (1980) and Last Suspect (1985). Forster also trained Royal Marshall to win the Hennessy and King George, Lefrak City to win the Arkle, and Pegwell Bay to win a double at the Mackeson Gold Cup. One of Forster’s greatest horses, “Since the KRH’s formation in 1992, its officers have won the Grand Military Gold Cup nine times” Martha's Son, came at the end of his career, winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Melling Chase at Aintree. Major Jonny Lewis of the Eleventh was another useful amateur rider. He won the Past and Present Hurdle at the Grand Military meeting on New Boy, trained by Forster. Lewis later became a leading bloodstock agent and director and vice-chairman of the BBA dealing, with clients in Japan and Europe. He also managed the interests of Prince AA Faisal al Saud and as such, he oversaw many stakes winners including Rafha, Invincible Spirit, and Olden Times. There is also a connection with the Cheltenham Festival’s Kim Muir Chase for amateur riders, founded in 1946 by Mrs Evan Williams in memory of her brother, who was killed in France in 1940 while serving with the Eleventh. It would be impossible to name all riders with a strong racing heritage linked to KRH. Some others are Ben Leigh, an Eleventh Hussar who won the Grand Military in 1965 on Rueil – who was selected by Sir Philip Payne-Gallwey and trained by Forster; Brigadier Christopher Price, who commanded the 14th/20th King’s Hussars and was Colonel of the KRH, won the Grand Military in 1977 and 1982; Michael Villiers, an Eleventh Hussar and Royal Hussar, had many successes as a jockey including and was the leading Point-to-Point rider in the South of England in 1973; and Richard Russell, who rode as an amateur for 30 years and now sits on the Point-to-Point Authority Board. Some notable National Hunt breeders with links to the regiment are James Burridge, an Eleventh Hussar who bred Desert Orchid; David Stoddart (14th/20th King’s Hussars), who bred 1992 Grand National winner Party Politics, who he sold the night before the race; and Ivan Straker, another Eleventh Hussar, chairman of Seagrams (UK) when it started sponsoring the National meeting in 1992. Five years before that, Straker had come very close to winning the race when his horse, The Tsarevich, finished second. As race riding was taken seriously by officers of all these regiments, it is not surprising that the Officers’ Mess at Aliwal Barracks holds two sets of scales, originally belonging to the Tenth and Fourteenth. The ledger recording the weights of famous Tenth Hussars, including a young Field Marshal Viscount Byng, still accompany the scales. These Victorian officers were careful to indicate the form of dress worn and whether their weighing occurred before or after their dinner. Since the KRH’s formation in 1992, its officers have won the Grand Military Gold Cup nine times. The first of these was Major Dominic Alers-Hankey, who won the race in 1994 aboard his Quick Rapport, and again in 1999 on Court Melody. Between the years of 2002 to 2010, it is fair to say that the KRH jockeys dominated the Grand Military. Captain Jamie Snowden and Major Alex Michael both proved themselves very accomplished jockeys by winning the race Grand Military seven times between them. Snowden won his first in 2002 while an Officer Cadet, on Folly Road, before winning on three consecutive occasions between 2005 and 2007 aboard Whitrnzo, Inca Trail, and Hoo La Baloo. Snowden, who is now in his fourth season as a trainer, explained that the KRH’s racing heritage was certainly a factor that led him to join them for his short service commission and, when time allowed, he was encouraged to ride out and race ride at every opportunity. Michael won his first of three Grand Military races on King’s Mistral in 2003, on Bolachoir in 2007, and in 2010 with Scots Dragoon. Michael is still a serving officer in the KRH and currently commands C Squadron. Commanding Officer Colonel Potts points out that their link with the horse means more than just the enjoyment of racing successes. Although they no longer fight with the horse, the ethos of ‘looking after the well being of your horse first’ has easily transferred to the care of their tanks and other vehicles in the regiment. In late March the KRH deployed to the Lashkar Gar district of Helmand Province as part of Operation HERRICK 16, a six-month tour of duty. The regiment will fulfil a range of tasks and roles including the provision of advisors for the Afghan Army, crews for armoured vehicles, as well as providing two formed dismounted squadrons. This versatility is nothing new for the regiment, as Potts explains. “The Regiment has adapted to the requirements of warfare for almost three centuries and in recent years we have deployed in a variety of guises to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We have provided a range of capabilities tailored to the specifics of each of these missions. It means that our soldiers can be equipped with main battle tanks, light tanks, personnel carriers, and other combat vehicles, as well as deploying as dismounted combat troops. We work hard to maintain our Regiment’s reputation for professionalism and loyal service alive and relevant in the 21st Century.” The Regiment sent squadrons to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2009, but is their first complete deployment. Potts points out that his regiment has been very well trained for the operation and that the training not only includes equipment and weapon training but also language and cultural awareness – essential skills in order to build relationships with both the locals and the Afghan National Security Forces. As with any regiment in a combat zone, there is a clear understanding within the KRH of the potential human costs involved. The Ministry of Defence and the Services Charities, including ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Combat Stress, offer good support to casualties and their families. But there remains a meaningful role for a regiment, particularly a small family one like the KRH, in the provision of welfare support for casualties, which is why Potts launched the KRH Appeal with the aim of raising £250,000.

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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN - EUROPEAN TRAINER - ISSUE 39

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