Balding family name leads the way in the racing stakes

TO the horseracing fraternity, Ian Balding is one of the most recognisable figures in the sport, having trained umpteen winners including the famous 1971 Derby winner Mill Reef.

But he is a bit more self-deprecating. “These days I’m probably best known for being Clare Balding’s father,” he jokes. His daughter is riding a wave of public acclaim at the moment thanks to her hosting of the Olympics and Paralympics and is currently on a literary tour with her best-selling book, My Animals and Other Family.

Not to be outdone, Balding senior is appearing in Malton this weekend as part of the two-day Ryedale Book Festival – an inaugural community event based around readings and workshops and whose special guests include authors GP Taylor and Lucy Robinson, as well as comedian Arthur Smith. Balding will be talking about his career and recalling stories from his autobiography, Making the Running, as well as auctioning a limited edition print of Mill Reef by the artist Susan Crawford for charity.

Balding was born in 1938 in the United States where he lived with his family until they moved back to England when he was seven. His father was a polo player and racehorse trainer and, for Ian and his older brother Toby, horses were a way of life. “We rode ponies and helped muck out the stables. I started out quite young as a jockey and won my first race when I was still at school.”

He studied at Cambridge University where he boxed and played rugby. But by this time horseracing was already in his blood and he went on to win more than 70 races as an amateur jockey. “I was mainly a jump jockey but I also worked as an assistant trainer to my brother.”

Then in 1964 Balding was offered the chance to work for Peter Hastings-Bass as his assistant trainer at the Kingsclere stables.

“Peter tragically died and I took over on a temporary basis and was then offered the job full time.” This meant he inherited such influential owners as the Queen, Lord Sefton and the American millionaire Paul Mellon, which must have been tough for such a young trainer? “It was a bit intimidating, but we had one or two early wins and they were happy because we were successful. The Queen used to come and visit the horses as often as she could.”

By the time he retired in 2003 he had trained more than 2,000 winners. Of these, he says his success with Mill Reef – who, along with the likes of Dancing Brave and Frankel, ranks as one of the greatest ever racehorses – was the highlight of his career. “He was the horse of a lifetime,” he says. “They don’t come along very often and I was just lucky to have one of them. He was a truly exceptional horse and I knew it from the first moment I saw him gliding over the grass. He was every bit as good on the raceground, he was just fantastic.”

In 2003, he passed on the reins to his son, Andrew. “He always wanted to be a trainer. I remember him saying: ‘Dad, you’re a frustrated jockey, well, I’m a frustrated trainer.’ So I kept the good horses and gave him the back yard and he won three races, at which point I thought it was time to step aside.” He praises his daughter’s horseracing abilities, too. “She was very good on the flat and she reinvigorated some of the old horses, although she had a very strange method of riding – she used to whisper in their ears. But horses ran for her, she’s a natural horsewoman.”

Interestingly, Balding doesn’t think the sport has changed a great deal over the years. “There’s still the battle between bookmakers and racing people which the bookmakers always win. But I do rather regret that we have to keep changing the Grand National course. It’s a shame we have to pander to the RSPCA because I think Aintree has done everything it can. We don’t want the Grand National to become just another three-mile chase because it’s such a fantastic event,” he says.

Despite such concerns, his passion for racing remains undimmed. “I adore racing, it’s a fantastic sport. Riding a non-thoroughbred is completely different from riding a thoroughbred, it’s like going from a four-wheel drive to a Jaguar. The difference is amazing and the thrill you get from riding a thoroughbred at speed is incredible. It’s the most exciting feeling in the world.”

Ian Balding is at the Talbot Hotel, Malton, on Sunday at 6pm. Tickets are priced £10, which includes a glass of mulled wine. Visit www.ryedalebookfestival.com or call the box office on 01653 600 048.