Toby Balding: a racing world’s Who’s Who pays tribute at Marlborough College chapel memorial service
Andrew and Clare Balding share their memories of Uncle TobyThe great and good and the old and the young of horseracing and beyond gathered at Marlborough College chapel on Monday afternoon (December 15) for a service celebrating and giving thanks for the life of Toby Balding, OBE.
He was a trainer who, Clare Balding told the assembled relatives and friends, "...didn't regard training racehorses as a job but as a way of life, and it was a life he loved."
Toby Balding had been a pupil at Marlborough College – and the steps at the east end of the chapel sported the symbols of his racing life: a tribly, racing binoculars, his racing colours, two representative trophies and a portrait of the man.
He had trained racehorses for 48 years and saddled over 2,000 winners. The service perfectly captured the spirit of a racehorse trainer who was renowned for nurturing winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Grand National and at Royal Ascot.
But, as his niece Clare Balding told the packed chapel: “He was magical with horses, but even better with people.”
AP McCoy, Adrian Maguire, Richard Dunwoody, Jeff Pearce are just some names who were graduates through the Toby Balding stable – and proudly call themselves ‘the Balding babes’.
Also there were the jockeys who rode his Grand National winners Eddie Harty (Highland Wedding) and Jimmy Frost (Little Polveir.)
Well-known racing aces in the congregation included Paul Nicholls, Mick Fitzgerald, John Francome, Graham Bradley, Ron Atkins, Jonjo O’Neill who were reflecting on Balding's genius touch with horses, people and life.
A stunning service of hymns, poetry, anecdotes captured the many ways in which Balding thoroughly enjoyed life. He was a keen follower of Southampton Football Club – and the choir began the memorial service with an arrangement 'Oh When the Saints'. And they also sang 'The Teddy Bears picnic' - a further wonderful reflection of his quirky sense of humour.
Toby's brother Ian Balding (left) & Ian's daughter ClareEmotional tributes from the Balding and Geake families highlighted the impact he had made personally to them as a trainer, father, grandfather and uncle. A beautiful narrative and eulogy from Clare Balding and her brother Andrew, described the expanse of lives their Uncle Toby touched with his broad-minded wisdom.
They told how Eric Clapton was among the frequent visitors to Balding's kitchen table for breakfast following mornings on the gallops. And about the chaotic animal life at the stables.
During his training career and in retirement Toby was always generous with advice encouraging those eager to get on with it. His grandson Sam Geake spoke one of the tributes to him - aptly finishing with a favourite saying of his grandfather at the end of a morning's work on the gallops: "That's all folks, no action replays!"
 John Francome |  Mick Fitzgerald of Channel 4 Racing |  Jonjo O'Neill |
 Martin Pipe |  John Mackie |  Paul Nicholls |
 Eddie Harty who rode Toby Balding's first Grand National winner |  Jimmy Frost who rode Balding's second Grand National winner |  Former jockey Ron Atkins |
 Jonathan Geake - Toby Balding's son-in-law - also a trainer |  The 'race card' or order of service |  Toby Balding's son Gerald |