Written by Harriet Rochester.
Harriet Rochester’s Marlborough Downs Uncovered column reveals that Manton’s racing heritage and its current ‘masters’ are secure for the foreseeable future
The Manton estate is renowned not just for its racing heritage, but for its beauty with vistas that inspired paintings by famous artists - including Sir Alfred Munnings and his Early Morning on Manton Downs (right).
Those who’ve read the book The Masters of Manton by Paul Mathieu will know that the Manton estate is steeped in over 150 years of horse racing history. The estate’s 2,200 acres provide some of the most magnificent facilities in Europe to train racehorses, mainly because the carpet-like grass gallops on the downs haven’t seen a plough for centuries.
One of Manton’s current two ‘Masters’ is trainer George Baker. He revealed recently that its future and heritage is, it’s hoped, secured for the foreseeable future, with a buyer confirmed subject to contract, as Mr Paul Clarke from the Hungerford area who made his fortune in the bulb growing business.
The Manton estate was put on the market in April by the Sangster family with an asking price of £26 million.
George BakerIt is thought that Mr Clarke has not bought the whole of the estate. George Baker told Marlborough News Online: “First indications are that the purchaser is keen to maintain the status quo. Meaning, I hope, that [racehorese trainer] Brian Meehan and I will remain as tenants here for the foreseeable future. I’m meeting with the buyer, who apparently lives near Hungerford, this week, so I’ll know more after that. It’s early days and we’ll see how matters evolve.”
With Mathieu’s book, one can delve into Manton’s racing and social history. Amazingly, more than 50 classic winners have been trained from the estate.
The book also reveals the property’s darker periods and some of its unsavory characters - notably the Duchess of Montrose, who, alarmingly, once hissed at Queen Victoria - as well as how Manton’s future was once guaranteed by £1 million in gambling winnings kept in a paper bag.
George Baker explained how times have changed: “Historically the day to day business of Manton was kept behind closed doors. It even used to have its own chapel and pub, reducing the temptation of the lads to pay a visit to Marlborough.”
“We have a great team here at Manton, everyone mucks in and there’re certainly no curfews! It’s a totally different and relaxed environment compared with way back when and I like to think we’ve moved on a bit now!” George smiles.
The "chapel" An example of how stringent Manton life was 50 years ago and prior to this is the old chapel, which George mentioned. It was a pigsty until the 1950s, when George Todd converted the upper floor into a chapel. Each Sunday the lads would pray while the pigs snuffled below:
“O Lord and Father way up there
Who gives each dog his daily dinner
Please listen to our humble prayer
And send George Todd another winner! “
Baker, who train’s 65 horses at Manton’s Barton Yard, explains his yard’s approach: “The business of horseracing today is a lot different. Part of the fun of owning a racehorse is watching it on the gallops at home as well as at the racecourse.”
“So contrary to what Manton used to be renowned for - its secrecy - our yard is very much an open house when it comes to owners, and provides a fantastic experience. I feel very lucky to be able to train from here, and my wife and children love Marlborough and the area. Here’s to Manton and, I hope, a bright new future”.
The Masters of Manton can be bought from at the White Horse Bookshop, Marlborough.
Pictures courtesy of Paul Mathieu, author of The Masters of Manton.
The Marlborough Downs Uncovered column will be appearing in MNO's forthcoming section THE HORSEBOX bringing 'Equestrian news and views for Marlborough and the Downs."
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Written by Tony Millett.
This is not the usual sort of book about the ‘Sport of Kings’ – it is about an outsider whose amazing understanding of horses has brought him fame and pain. Gary Witheford is that outsider whose unique skill with horses has made him indispensable to many of the most senior insiders in the racing world.
In fact his skills take him beyond racecourses and trainers’ yards – he specialises in training young and problem horses from all walks of life.
If he deals everyday with angry horses, he has also to deal with his own anger at his childhood and the way it was stolen from him. Gary Witheford and some of his brothers were groomed and sexually abused by twin brothers – adults who professed to be Christians.
These men are still alive, have both served time in prison and were plausible enough to fool Gary’s mother – she did not believe he had been abused and showed him no proper affection.
All this and much more is revealed in If Horses Could Talk by Horse Whisperer Gary Witheford with Brough Scott (Racing Post Books.) It is a very compelling tale.
Gary is a great talker and has talked this book onto the page making it a lively read. Brough Scott – former jockey and long-time racing journalist – has given it shape, context and added depth. With brief essays in between the chapters, Scott helps us understand how Gary’s strange and successful life developed.
The book is full of photographs and Scott has also included an enlarged glossary – called the Tack Room – which is really helpful in getting a proper understanding of Gary’s methods.
Gary Witheford has Wiltshire in his bones – he spent several years at Rudloe when his father was in the RAF. Understandably, he left home and his boarding school for troubled boys in Devizes, and was introduced by teacher Alan Stonell to the ‘racing game’ at the Beckhampton yard (then run by trainer Jeremy Tree.)
After many years with Elaine and Stan Mellor at Lambourn (not quite Wiltshire!) and time working away from horses, he set up in business first near Wootton Bassett and is now based at a former dairy farm near Burbage.
His practical, low-key approach to horses is termed ‘natural horsemanship’ and is a mix of his own theories, those of the original American horse whisperer Monty Roberts and other experts. His methods hark back to what Native Americans had been doing for centuries – and had then passed on to cowboys.
Craig Witheford (photo courtesy Edward Whittaker, Racing Post)Ably assisted by his son, Craig, and by his wife Suze who looks after his complex logistics (“She is like my right hand”), his thriving business has two mainstays.
First, starting young horses. He does not like the term ‘breaking horses’ – he does not break anything in his ‘starting’ process and it takes minutes rather than the weeks taken to ‘break in’ a horse by traditional methods.
Secondly, he is called on by trainers to go to racecourses here, there and everywhere to make sure tricky horses get into the starting stalls. He wants to persuade the governors of the racing industry that reform of the stalls loading process is vital – just one of the reforms he would like to see.
But, as he says quite openly in this very open book, at 54 he is now feeling a bit worn out. Not all young and troubled horses are polite – they have landed him with plates in a hand and an elbow, with a crooked jaw, bad shoulders and an uncooperative back.
The adrenaline rush of coping with horses that are often and in varying degrees pretty violent, takes its toll. And his business involves endless driving – travelling to British and Irish trainers and racecourses and further afield still.
He has had many more than his fifteen minutes of fame – whether it was training the first zebras to be ridden (the press loved that) or giving jaw-dropping demonstrations of his skills.
Gary, Suze & Brough Scott at the book launchJohn Gosden, who used to be at Manton, is one of the trainers who often relies on Gary. In the book Gosden is quoted in one of Brough Scott’s mini-essays: “It’s very reassuring, especially for jockeys, when Gary is down at the start. Gary has a profound understanding of the horse and its psyche.”
This year, Gary was supervising the stalls entry for Gosden’s Classic star Kingman. He will be disappointed that Kingman has an infection and will not make his last appearance (in October’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot) before going to stud.
Brough Scott writes that if horses really could talk, their first words would be to thank Gary. I would go further: I believe the horses would urge him to carry on campaigning to reform aspects of the racing game. And when he has succeeded - and when the odds are long Gary very often does succeed - he and Brough Scott could write another book together.
If Horses could Talk – Horse Whisperer Gary Witheford with Brough Scott (Racing Post Books) £20.
[Coming soon on Marlborough News Online – ‘On the road with Gary Witheford.’]
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Written by Tony Millett.
Chelsea Pearce and Albert VI For Marlborough event rider Chelsea Pearce the St James's Place Barbury International Horse Trials (7-120 July) will be a very significant event.
Chelsea Pearce and her horse Albert VI have been long listed for the British Junior Squad at the European Championships. Her listing came after she won fifth place in the British Junior Championships at Brand Hall in Shropshire.
The Long List squad now have to compete in the CIC** competition at Barbury and again at the end of July in the Open Intermediate Under 21 (OIu21) competition at Cholmondeeley Castle in Cheshire.
The Long List currently includes twelve combinations - and these will be whittled down to the final six-strong team at the Wellington (Hampshire) OIu21 competition over the August Bank Holiday.
The FEI Junior European Championships are being held at Montelibretto in Italy at the end of September.
Chelsea told Marlborough.News: "I am delighted to make the Long List. Albert was foot perfect at Brand Hall and has been very consistent so far this season."
"I am fully aware that the hard work starts now and I will be doing everything I can to try and make the final six. My Sponsors have been so supportive and I can’t thank them enough: Ariat, Aqueos, Haygain Hay Steamers and Longcroft Building Services."
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Written by Tony Millett.
Rory Bremner - Brighter Futures' patron The St. James’s Place Barbury International Horse Trials (July 7-10) have announced they will be supporting Great Western Hospital's Brighter Futures as their official charity at this year’s event on the Marlborough Downs. And a very special local participant hopes to be competing during the four-day event.
In addition to Brighter Futures fundraising activities across the horse trials for its radiotherapy appeal, they will be hosting a lunch on the Saturday (July 9) with the charity's patron Rory Bremner as guest speaker. The lunch is being supported by local Rotary Clubs.
Brighter Futures launched an appeal last May to raise the £2.9 million needed to make radiotherapy treatment available in Swindon - so that local cancer patients will no longer have to make the 70-mile round trip to Oxford.
This year the Barbury International Horse Trials and the Brighter Futures lunch will be particularly poignant for James Hussey - a local farmer and eventing competitor.
James Hussey with Kildare Kid - 'Tim' - training for the Barbury International Horse TrialsJames, who is 58 years old and has already raised a substantial amount for the appeal, hopes to compete at the horse trials in July on board his horse Tim.
He will be riding in memory of his wife Gill, who died from cancer: "Gill always had a very special love of horses and the local countryside, she was very involved with conservation projects both on the farm and the Marlborough Downs."
"She was always a great supporter of eventing, loving the sport, and always supporting myself and our daughter Julia."
"Barbury International Horse Trials is a pinnacle of the eventing calendar, and I am looking forward to being back there this year competing in memory of Gill, and supporting Brighter Futures, to help make life easier for those dealing with cancer."
“The Brighter Futures appeal is so important to raise funds for a new radiotherapy unit in Swindon. Gill and I would regularly make 70 mile round trip to Oxford for radiotherapy treatment, it was exhausting both mentally and physically. "
"Having a unit in Swindon will help patients and their families in the region face the challenge of cancer”.
Nigel Bunter, Chairman of the Barbury International Horse Trials added: “We are very proud to support Brighter Futures at this year’s horse trials, their radiotherapy unit appeal is very important for the Wiltshire region."
“The lunch is set to be very popular as the Barbury Club marquee offers fantastic viewing of the eventing competition whilst enjoying a delicious lunch."
Jennifer Green, Head of Fundraising for Brighter Futures, is delighted at the announcement: “So far we’ve raised nearly £700,000 towards the £2.9 million required to pay for the equipment for the new Radiotherapy unit. We hope that the people and businesses from the region will support this fabulous lunch and our appeal for this important cause."
Tickets to the lunch are just £80 and include VIP parking, champagne reception and a two course lunch with wine.
The St. James’s Place Barbury International Horse Trials host four days of awesome Eventing competition with over 1,000 horse and rider combinations poised to compete. This year they will be an important pre-cursor to the 2016 Olympics with many riders destined for Rio taking part.
New this year will be the third leg of the inaugural Event Rider Masters (ERM) - an exciting sporting series, showcasing the world’s best event riders with a total of £350,000 in prize money on offer with each leg promising a minimum of £50,000.
To buy tickets for the Brighter Futures lunch and to the horse trials, and also to follow James’s training progress via the Barbury Blog - visit the Barbury website.
You can find out more about the radiotherapy appeal at the Brighter Futures website.
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