Caroline Robinson (nee Beasley), who farms and trains a string of eight pointers at Sheriffhales in Shropshire, as well as acting as honorary chair of stewards panels under rules, holds two records that will never be broken. She was the first lady jockey to ride a winner at the Cheltenham Festival when she took the Foxhunters on her own Eliogarty in 1983, then the first to be successful over the Grand National course when she won the Aintree equivalent three years later on the same horse, and is hoping for a victorious return to one of the two Festivals year with stable star The Dellercheckout and/or useful newcomer Ballymoy. Jake Exelby went to see her – as well as daughters Immy, a leading lady rider herself, and former jockey Kitty – recently to find out about their hopes for the season.
“I was brought up in Sheriffhales,” confirms Caroline, “Although not here on Manor Farm, which my parents bought in the mid-1990s and where I’ve been training ever since. The farm is 400 acres, mostly arable and we have 2,000 pigs, which my son Anthony looks after. He didn’t race-ride himself, but is quietly proud of his sisters. As for the horses, I train them from the field as much as I can, although some of them come in at night. The girls and I ride them – we have a five-furlong carpet fibre uphill gallop – and my neighbour (racecourse judge) Nick Bostock comes and helps as stable lad/yard man when he can!”
“I’ve been obsessed with horses since the word dot,” explains Caroline of how she got into the sport. “I did pony club, show jumping and eventing, then started pointing when I was 18 – girls had to wait until then at the time. I had my first ride on Manoric in 1978, and my first win on him the season after, at Eyton-on-Severn. I then went to Ireland because I wanted to work in a racing yard to gain experience,” she continues as the Eliogarty story unfolds. “Dad had contacts there and I went to work for John Hassett. Boy, did I learn! He influenced me more than anyone else. By the time we won at Cheltenham, I was based with Barry Kelly, then I came back to Lambourn and was with David Murray-Smith when we won at Aintree. He wasn’t even supposed to run – we’d unseated at the sixth (the big ditch) the year before and we were due to go to Chepstow instead. But that was rained off, we were entered at Aintree, so we thought we’d take our chance.”
I ask Caroline why, after her pioneering exploits nearly 40 years ago, she thinks it has taken so long for the likes of Rachael Blackmore to join the men at jumping’s top table. “Rachael stands out,” Caroline opines, “But Katie Walsh and Nina Carberry came before her, Bryony Frost is doing well and other girls are getting rides. To me, gender’s irrelevant – I always tell my girls they’re as good as anyone - but it’s a tough game and in reality, women still have to fight for equality.” She tells me a story to illustrate the attitudes she faced when she was riding. “I was carrying a penalty on Eliogarty at Kempton and David Nicholson said I had no chance, but I won anyway. To be fair, he did come up afterwards and say, ‘Well done’.”
“Gay Moore – named after my sister – was another good one I rode,” Caroline continues. “I won on him at Fontwell and Haydock. And Our Fun, a horse John Hassett and I bought for just £3,000 and who I rode to win two bumpers in Ireland. After that, we did a big sales campaign – using photos to make a brochure for English trainers. We sold him for £33,000 to Josh Gifford, which was a record for Doncaster Sales at the time.”
Daughters Immy and Kitty have spent the morning riding work for local trainer Gary Hanmer and – on their return – I quiz them about their own careers. “I had my first ride the day after my 16th birthday and won – on Jemaro – on my fourth ride,” Immy tells me first. “We were both 16 – in fact, I think he was older than me – and we won the same race at 17 the year after. He was a real lunatic and only Mum could ride him at home, but he taught me to sit quietly. I remember Richard Burton telling me not to school him over tyres, but Mum made me anyway – he stayed on his feet, I fell off and Burty just stood there rolling his eyes.”
“Popaway was another I was fond of, obviously,” Immy goes on. “I won twice on her at Cheltenham – that’s one more win there than Mum! Her attitude was like a bull – she didn’t want to get beaten. And Oh Toodles was probably my all-time favourite. He was just a little thing but had the heart of a lion. He’d take off from outside the wings. To have a ride in a Foxhunters is my lifelong ambition,” Immy admits. “I’ve got close a few times. To emulate what Mum achieved would be an absolute dream, but I'd settle for a good spin in one - or ideally both - of the races"
Kitty’s own career was briefer, but she also enjoyed a successful start, having also tasted success at Cheltenham – in a pony race aged ten. “I was 16 when I finished third on my first ride on Whistling Straits at Thorpe Lodge, then won on him next time out at Bangor-on-Dee,” she recalls with a smile. “He was a quirky character though, and could be a nightmare. I remember one day at Sandon, he got caught up in some string in the paddock, trod on Immy’s leg and galloped off through the Easter picnickers!”
“I stopped because I was at university in Brighton, I played rugby as well, it was a long way to come home, and then I broke my collarbone…” Kitty confesses. “I used to get nervous in the build-up to racing and Mum said, ‘This is meant to be fun,’ so I retired. I was especially nervous riding Oh Toodles – Immy used to say to me, ‘If you break my horse…’ I enjoy riding out but prefer to stay on the ground!”
Caroline, Ballymoy (Kitty) and The Dellercheckout (Immy)
Caroline and her daughters rarely hunt their horses – “We don’t have time,” admits Immy – but she sits on her hunt and point-to-point (Albrighton & Woodland North) committees and helps out at events, laughing, “It would be difficult to promote my meeting if I’m not giving something back! But I hunted regularly as a child,” Caroline continues, “And I used to in Ireland – we’d scramble over stone walls on expensive yearlings! I could write a book about my time in Ireland.” I enquire why she doesn’t and Kitty answers. “She’s spent too much time with horses and not enough getting an education!”
Talk of hunting leads us to discuss the changes Caroline has seen in 40+ years of involvement with pointing. “It’s got more and more professional and it’s needed to, to keep up with the times,” she states. “I was obviously involved in Ireland for many years and it was way ahead of Britain – we were running four-year-olds and preparing young horses to be sold when I was there. We’ve been on the back foot over here but I think we’ve caught up. The day of farmers and their sons has gone and, if we cling to that, pointing will collapse.” “Yeah,” replies Immy sarcastically, “Said the farmer whose daughter rides!”
“I’m fearful about the decline of pointing in the North West, though,” adds Caroline. “My worry is the escalating cost of running a fixture and making it pay – finding the money for doctors, vets and marquees is wiping out any profit. Our (February) meeting is reliant on entry fees because we don’t get a crowd and they’re already £50 so we can’t increase them further.”
As for how pointing will be affected by Covid, Caroline is realistic. “How much numbers will drop is our biggest worry. Time will tell, but this season will be a turning point. Luckily my owners are positive – they’re point-to-point people, and wouldn’t go under rules.” So was she ever tempted to train professionally in Britain? “I had a permit in foot and mouth year (2001),” Caroline replies, “But I love pointing… and I love stewarding, and I can’t be a steward and train under rules. Plus you can make more of a statement in points – on the track, I’d be a little fish in a deep sea.” Interestingly, while Caroline has chaired stewards panels for over 20 years, she’s never done it between the flags.
“But lockdown hasn’t really affected us personally,” admits Caroline. “Immy and Kitty both came home, we were all together on the farm and we’d do exercise classes on the lawn in the summer. I feel rather guilty, because other people were suffering, but we weren’t.” And their horses? “We kept them going – you can’t put them in a field in January,” Immy tells me. “The worst bit was when amateurs couldn’t ride when racing restarted this year,” she adds. “We were hoping to take The Dellercheckout to Cheltenham, but I couldn’t ride him.” “And leading up in a face mask could be challenging,” Kitty chips in.
I close our conversation by asking Caroline why she is passionate about pointing. “It’s a family thing for us,” she confirms. “Even when I was riding, Mum and Dad would always be there. I don’t want a large number of owners and horses, just like-minded people who enjoy the sport. Rob Martin’s a delight to train for – he’s almost part of the family, he’s Immy’s biggest supporter and we involve him in everything. And it’s lovely to train for the Sankeys, who I’ve known forever. It was a brilliant day when Patrick Sankey won on Galbally King at Bredwardine – highs like that balance the lows.”
Old favourite Galbally King poses for the camera
She pauses before concluding, “I don’t have to train horses, I do it because I love it. I have more patience with horses than people!”
Caroline’s Five to Follow
Ballymoy
Ex-Nigel Twiston-Davies and a winner of nine races, including three since March this year, who was rated 142 under rules. Will start in points and we’ll aim as high as we can with him – I quite excited about him and he’s a potential Cheltenham horse. Owned by myself, Immy, her Dad Michael and Rob Martin – the same four who are involved in The Dellercheckout.
Immy schooling Ballymoy
Best Friend Barney
An unraced five-year-old, owner-bred by Guy Sankey’s grandfather Brian Orchard, so he’s Guy’s ride. He’s a big lump of a horse who will take a while to get fit, so he’ll run when he’s ready.
My Old Man
Won at Chaddesley Corbett at the end of 2019 but came back injured after his next run and has been off since. He’s a lovely horse who’s doing good, solid work and I’ll look for an Intermediate but am taking my time with him.
Immy with My Old Man
Ryans Fancy
Another lovely horse, who won his Restricted and Intermediate last year and who I’m really excited about – he’s pulling Immy’s arms out at the moment. Will stick to pointing and we’ll try to find races in the Yorkshire and Northern areas. He’ll probably start in a Conditions race – he’s entered in one at Badbury Rings on Sunday – but should be good enough for Ladies Opens.
The Dellercheckout
We’ll take it step-by-step with him, and run in a couple of points before maybe the Ludlow Hunter Chase he won last year. I’d love to go to Aintree with him – that, more than Cheltenham, would be his track. He’s electric when schooling but laid back in the manege and can be a nightmare to saddle – he’s got an off and an on switch and nothing in between!
Immy schooling The Dellercheckout