OBITUARIES
THE jockey, trainer, owner and point-to-point steward died on 4 April, aged 85.
John will be remembered for his passion for racing, funded by his expertise in commercial poultry. The latter earned him his cherished MBE, and the former gave him the best moments of his life.
In an interview celebrating his 30 years as editor of Poultry
Worldhe said: “The only thing I ever wanted to do was ride racehorses, which I did as an amateur for 30 years.”
He was proud to reach more than 100 National Hunt winners as rider, trainer and owner. After retirement his efforts went into pointing as a steward and clerk of the course for the East Sussex and Romney Marsh. He rode his beloved Quarrymount, until he was 84. Knowing how hard it is to get on the racing ladder he was always willing to give young riders a chance – caring more about the opportunity than where his own horse might finish. Rupert Farrant, Joe Carden, Chris Gordon, Helen Gordon, Freddie Gordon and Tom Cannon were among those he assisted.
John grew up in Northiam, East Sussex, on the family farm with many cousins. Holidays were spent harvesting, haymaking, taking fruit and vegetables to market and timber to the mill – and riding. He was one of the founder members, with his cousins, of the Romney Marsh branch of the Pony Club in 1948.
He started point-to-pointing while at Wye College, winning his first race in 1958, and his first National Hunt race, on Tom Southern’s Scottish Flight, at Lingfield in 1959. Lingfield was dear to his heart as it also provided wins as the owner of Ramore Will. Folkestone also held special memories as he rode and trained his own Eastern Admiral to win the Ted Long Trophy in 1976.
Always a hard worker, John fitted riding around commuting to London and overseeing his 18,000-bird egg farm.
One of John’s proudest moments when his son Rupert won the Kent Grand National on the home-trained Bargill. Later his faith in Chris Gordon was rewarded when Chris sourced chasers Quarrymount, Days Of Pleasure, Ballyheigue Bay and Ramore Will.
Quarrymount was Chris’s first winner as a licensed trainer.
TIM BARNES
THE much-loved member of the equestrian community died on 5 April, aged 70.
Tim was born in 1953 in Codsall, Wolverhampton, and his family moved to Stourporton-Severn. Farming and his love of animals came ver
