Aged just 25, Verity Taylor already runs her own successful catering business and – having grown up with horses – she had her first win, on only her third ride, on Rizzardo (pictured) at Paxford on Easter Monday, having been beaten over 130 lengths on the pair’s previous outing!
Verity talked to Jake Exelby the other day about her background, her introduction to point-to-pointing on a horse described by Luke Harvey as, “Not a novice schoolmaster,” and her love of locally sourced food.
How did you get into racing and point-to-pointing?
We live near Bicester and have four racehorses at home – mum (Phillippa) has a permit, and we have two pointers, Rizzardo and Ultra Viers, who won at Garthorpe recently for Joe Stevenson as well as two to run under rules, Guttural, who won a point-to-point at Edgcote in 2021 and Madra Morjohn, who made his debut in a bumper last week. He’s a homebred by the late John O’Neill and his name means “The big dog John” in Gaelic, as John was always known as “The big dog”!
We’ve also got a gaggle of retired racehorses and hunters – about a dozen. The hunters are on holiday now, which gives us a bit of a break, but we don’t have anyone to help and do everything ourselves, which is why I still live at home – having horses keeps me there!
I first sat on a horse when I was tiny – there’s a photo of me on my Shetland pony with no tack. I grew up doing pony club, then progressed to tetrathlon, which is pentathlon without the fencing. And I’m really into my hunting – I’ve done it my whole live, mum used to be master of the Bicester with Whaddon Chase and we live close to the kennels.
Verity as a child on her Shetland pony
When I grew out of my pony, I was looking for a horse and we bought a chunky hunter called Lionel. I then decided I wanted a pointer, so we got Curraghchase. Mum suggested I put him in our Members race, so I completed all the (rider qualification) forms but Covid cut the season short, and our point-to-point didn’t happen.
Verity hunting Curraghchase
Tell me about your first ride on Curraghchase
After the first lockdown, we got the horses ready early, which we’d never done before. Mum’s old-fashioned – she never runs pointers before Christmas and likes to wait for better ground.
My first ride, at Kimble, was interesting to say the least. We went – fast – to look at the first but he wouldn’t go back to the start, so my sister (and fellow rider) Phoebe had to lead me back. We had our girths checked then he napped as the others were turning. We lost ten lengths at the start, but I knew he’d want to front run and we were in the lead by the first fence but thank God he didn’t bolt with me. We led for about a circuit, then he got tired and pulled himself up.
I remember people asking me why I’d want another go after that and dad saying to mum, “What have you put her on?” She looked very guilty!
How did you come to buy Rizzardo?
Despite that, I did want another go, although it didn’t happen last season as I was waiting for the right horse. I thought Phoebe might be in her last season, and mum said I could ride Guttural, but he’s quite strong, so we put a male jockey on him.
We’re friendly with the Twiston-Davies family and Nigel rang and said he had a horse – Elmdale – that would be perfect for me. I rode him a couple of times, but then Phoebe married (former jockey and Cottesmore huntsman) Sam Jones and moved to Leicestershire. Elmdale went with her, “Just to get him fit,” and never came back – Phoebe decided to ride him in points herself!
Nigel then told us he’d got another horse, ready to go. I went out on him with Nigel’s daughter Rosie on her Shetland pony, and he was really sweet. That was Rizzardo.
My first ride on him was absolutely perfect for me, as I just wanted to enjoy myself and have a nice hunt round. I was nervous at the start and, though I wasn’t left, I didn’t fight for position. People were pulling-up in front of me, but he wasn’t tired and was jumping well, so I thought we’d finish the race.
Talk me through your win at Paxford
I wasn’t expecting it at all. We were supposed to run him at Kimble on the Saturday, but I was catering for 200 in the sponsors’ tent, so we went to Paxford. It’s difficult to find races for him as he won under rules in November 2021 so must carry a penalty in most Novice Riders races. Having walked the course, I thought he’d want better ground and there were only three runners, but I was just hoping for a nice, fun ride and to finish.
Verity and Rizzardo in action
Neither of the others wanted to lead, so I found myself in front, but didn’t know what speed to set – I’d rather have sat behind and followed – so I left it to him. Three out, we all jumped in a line, and he was flying, so I knew he had enough in the tank. We took the lead, and I was terrified being in front at the last, thinking, “Don’t fall off!” When I pulled up, I glanced round to check there wasn’t another circuit to go and thought, “Gosh – I’ve won!” Someone said I’d finished second and I was worried that I’d pulled up before the line, but the commentator had made a mistake. It was nice to see Zac Baker, who’d won on Guttural, cheering me home.
Sister Phoebe leading Verity in at Paxford
Verity and Rizzardo - the happy couple with trophy
What are your plans for the rest of the season and beyond?
Mum’s decided I’m going to ride in a Ladies’ race, which means – with my allowance – going from 12st 10lbs to 10st 9lbs! The pressure’s off now, so I want to have some fun and get a couple of rides for more experience, while staying competitive. I’d love to take Rizzardo to Edgcote – I missed my local meeting there as I was at a wedding.
Next season, I’ll carry on riding schoolmasters. It’s what I enjoy doing and I want to improve, but I’ve no ambition to take it seriously or ride for other people.
Which other jockeys do you most admire?
Kate Gowing, who I went to the Royal Agricultural College with. I remember watching her – she’d had plenty of success and used to ride some quite tricky horses, so kept getting ditched! But she said, “I love it, I can’t stop”. It’s that addiction I admire. She works for a vet now but still trains her own pointer and rides one her parents own – it’s a nice balance.
What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?
It’s good that pointing’s evolving although fewer horses are sticking around as lots of four-year-olds are being sold on. It still costs a lot of money to put on a meeting and I think we need to keep the link with hunting, or we’ll lose point-to-pointing. Our members race is usually quite competitive, and I like what they do at Garthorpe, where all the hunts who run there have a joint members race. I’d also have more area conditions races to encourage locals.
It’s an expensive sport so could there be a cheaper riders’ licence for people like me who only ride their own horses – maybe a “professional” and a “fun” licence?
What would you do to get more horses into the sport?
Lowering the costs would help. I’d also encourage more schoolmasters – trainers are always looking for homes for their horses and team chasing has promoted Retraining of Racehorses. We’re lucky, because we know Nigel Twiston-Davies and he trusts us, and Phoebe’s first winner – Irish Guard – came from John O’Neill but it’s tricky, because owners might see a horse winning a point and think, “Why can’t it run under rules?”
How did your catering company – Food by Verity – start?
I finished university during lockdown and started catering from home. Since then, it’s gone crazy, mostly through word of mouth from family and friends. I do anything from private dinners for six to hunt balls for 350. It’s stressful, and I’m always rushing around, but fun. In a sense, Covid’s been lucky for me, as I’d probably have got an office job otherwise.
Food by Verity
Which other businesses in your field do you admire?
The Pig. They have about six hotels and their whole business plan and vision is what I’d want to do myself – I was foraging for wild garlic last week. They grow their own vegetables and source locally – they have a ‘25-mile menu’. They say things like, “That dish isn’t available as we couldn’t pick it this morning.”
My ambition is to have a farm shop / pop-up restaurant. I wouldn’t want to be a chef cooking 24/7 but to do a home-produced supper every fortnight or so with things like lamb, wild garlic, and asparagus. I come from a farming background, so that’s ingrained in me.
Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?
I knew you’d ask me that, as I’m a caterer! Rachael Blackmore, obviously. She’s done so much for females in sport. It would be amazing to meet her, though I’ve no idea what I’d say! Then Mary Berry, a national hero – I grew up cooking her dishes – and Yotam Ottolenghi. He’s changed the way cooking is done. I love the way his mind works and, while I love classic British cooking, I like his sharing style.