Racing for relaxation
“IT WAS the bravado that drew me to it initially,” says George Cooper. That may seem an odd reason for having a hobby, but according to the farmer and amateur jockey it was the daredevil element of point-to-point that drew him to race riding.”As a young man I was attracted to the thrill of racing.
I”ve always been around horses and would show off to friends by riding bare-back. Point-to-point seemed a natural progression.”
Racing and horses are George”s passion and with eight stabled at New Barn Farm for this season, he admits it can be a bit of a juggle fitting them around his 182ha (450 acre) arable unit in Raydon, Suffolk. “But you”ve always got to have some pleasure in life. And this is a good release from farming.”
While weight is a constant problem for many jockeys – with some professional riders spending hours confined to the sauna – when Farmlife visits George, he”s tucking into what can only be described as a hearty lunch. Cold turkey, baked potatoes, broad beans and peas all fight for room on his plate. “It”s all easily digestible food and that”s the trick,” he explains.
With a riding weight of 11st 5lb, exercise and diet are paramount and during the winter months George”s diet varies little, with pheasant – a byproduct of his other pastime, shooting – cabbage and onions forming most meals. “I avoid dairy produce whenever possible, and alcohol is also off limits most of the time.”
George admits, however, to a liking for a drop of strawberry gin in the lorry park after a day in the saddle. “That”s one of the best parts of racing, the camaraderie of everyone involved; from stable hands through to the owners, everyone mucks in together.”
And when not in one kind of saddle he”s often found in another. “A 10-mile bike ride every day helps with both physical fitness and weight control.”
Traditionally an amateur sport, point-to-point racing has changed much over the years, with fewer and fewer horses owned, trained or ridden by farmers, says the 61-year-old, who is often described by commentators and pundits as the ever-young George Cooper.
“More horses are now owned by people from outside farming, with many stabled and trained in semi-professional racing yards. And the type of horse appearing on courses has changed much over the past 40 or so years too.
“Historically, most point-to-point horses were big chaser types, but now most are bred from flat racing bloodlines, so they”re lighter boned and more agile.”
However, thankfully, that doesn”t mean they”re unsuitable for hunting, reckons George. “Point-to-point developed out of hunting and before any horse can run it must qualify by being regularly and fairly hunted in the current season.”
Although the future of point-to-point racing is uncertain following the recent hunting ban, sport insiders suggest it will continue in some form.
Glancing at the trophies in George”s sitting room, it”s clear to see why even after more than 40 years of racing he still has the heart of a young rider and is keen to stay in the saddle for as long as his body allows, but he admits to becoming more cunning as the years pass. “As you get older, you learn to pick the races and the horses to suit you,” he explains.
“I tend to buy horses which prefer heavier going, these aren”t so fast, so the falls are easier to take when they happen. After all, I don”t bounce as well as I used to.”
But a brief glance at the current string reveals few mounts which could be described as not too fast. They all look fit and well and, with three winners for the yard this season already, two of them under George”s guidance, they”re obviously in fine form.
However, none of this year”s team have yet lived up to his lifetime”s best performer, Carl”s Choice – a horse which won 19 races in a row, although one of the current crop is George”s first home-bred winner.
“That was a special feeling. Breeding, training and riding a winner, something rarely achieved,” he adds.