Owner of the Month - September 2006

How has Thorndale Farm evolved into what we see today?
Originally we farmed here with wheat, barley, sheep and cattle.  But fifteen years ago we stopped producing corn as we were really too high.  The late harvesting obviously meant we had to do early planting and it just didn’t work so in the end we stopped and since then we’ve stuck with sheep and cattle.  Then two years ago we gave up the cattle as well, in fact the old cattle shed is where the horses are now living.   Now we just have sheep and of course the horses!

How did the thought of having racehorses here first emerge?
Well, we originally thought about various options including warehouses, storing motor cars and we also considered using it for polo.  Polo is a sport close to my heart so this obviously appealed but we needed a polo ground and there really isn’t enough flat ground so then we came up with the idea of racehorses.

What made you think the Farm would be suitable for racehorses?
Obviously all the hills and various features of the farm seemed ideal for horses and we had all the buildings already here so it really seemed the perfect use for them. 

What has been your involvement been in racing up until now?
It has always been an interest of mine since my dear brother (Sam Vestey, Chairman of Cheltenham racecourse) gave us a racehorse for our wedding present.  The horse was in training with David Nicholson and we had 4 or 5 horses over 20 years all with the Duke.  We don’t own horses anymore but obviously we still go to the Cheltenham Festival each year and probably once or twice during the rest of the year as well.

How was the contact with Kim made?
My estate manager, Mike Dewar, and myself had already put together the plan for the training set-up and Mike had brought on board George Windsor Clive to help find a tenant.  Kim was looking at yards in the Northamptonshire area when George told him about what we were up to at Thorndale.  Although initially he was looking for a yard to buy rather than rent, as soon as Kim came here and saw what we were planning he decided to end his search there and then!

What have been the biggest challenges in setting up the training facility?
Obviously completing all the work in time was the main issue.  We had three months from when Kim first came here to prepare everything so the horses could move in and start training.  Luckily Mike has been extremely efficient and so have the builders in getting the work completed on time.  The most worrying aspect of the whole project was getting the gallop constructed correctly as you just don’t know what it’s like until it’s built but by all accounts it has worked out well which is very exciting indeed.

What are your hopes for the racing operation at Thorndale Farm in the years to come?
Lots of winners of course!!  Hopefully we will see the yard expand and I think 60, 65 horses would be a good number to aim for.

PREVIOUS OWNERS OF THE MONTH:

September 2006 - Mark Vesty