June and July have simultaneously seemed to speed and crawl by. That long list of summer jobs still continued and many of the horses ended their summer break, so that meant yard life returned to normal. Actually, there is never such a thing as a normal day at Jackdaws Castle!
A Frosty June
The weather in June was most peculiar when the Atlantic jet stream brought in a cold spell. Early in the morning, I even had to scrape a filigree of frost off my windscreen, and bobble hats and winter coats were brought back out. I was overjoyed as the pens filled up with summer jumpers when the head lads emptied the barn so it could be pressure washed and painted. I had a total of seventeen inmates, which was lovely, if very busy!
During that time, one of the horses that lived in the pens was Pyffo, who won two over hurdles. Another was Bob Bob Ricard, who doubled up on his previous win when scoring at Worcester, before running into one of Willie Mullins’ when finishing second. Bob Bob is very popular in the yard – he’s a gorgeously friendly character, especially adored by his groom Alex Pawlowska.
Not all of the horses were amenable. I had four reprobates living in the new pen who weren’t easy. Chloe Cullen was getting a little overtime when she was helping me out from 06:00 and was on the receiving end of their mannerless antics.
They’d always hang out at the furthest corner of the big field, even meandering over there as we walked across the field. One Monday, we’d actually caught them with little fuss and had led them into the pen where we’d lock them in for the riders. One started to stalk back over to the gate and then all four suddenly galloped out, lead ropes trailing, knocking Chloe over. She was shaking and winded, so I sat her on a tussock and caught them myself two at a time.
Chloe was ok – she’s just tiny – but being mowed over didn’t stop her continuing to come out every morning to help me. As for the naughty foursome, I put them on a diet and it took three days for their manners to return. Three became angels, overriding the one who stayed an awkward so-and-so.
Bird Watching
I often feel like a budding ornithologist. The springtime pheasants have gone, replaced by flocks of bully crows with their dagger beaks and smaller jackdaws with their dusty hoods of silver and grey eyes. With their silent approaches and feet tapping menacingly on the tin roofs of the sheds, it began to feel like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Pigeons are timid, flying off exposing white lines on their smoky wings like invasion stripes on Spitfires. The crows and jackdaws fly into the feed pots or into the feed bin, perched on fencing, flapping away with threatening squawks.
Like tokens or calling cards, they leave feathers behind. Impossibly light, weightless even – my favourites are the glossy black ones, edged with iridescent blue and green like an oily puddle, left by the magpies.
Couch To 5K
In June, I finished running Couch To 5K but I took eleven weeks, not nine, retaking two weeks due to racing or busyness. The app was brilliant, offering advice and encouragement throughout. I suffered from bad breathing, a niggly knee and chub rub, and my flatfooted, cumbersome gait didn’t assist me, but I was delighted to complete it. On swapping onto my RunKeeper app, I was relieved to discover that I was already running over five kilometres.
On 6th July, I completed my first organised run round York Racecourse. It was called the Chocolate Run, which was a great incentive when I received a big bar of Aero and chose from a vast tabletop of homemade cakes on finishing. I’m just slower than I was and I’m not sure I’ll ever regain my old form. Running from home in the hamlet of Ford, which is nestled in a dip, I always have to run up uphill – be it next to the long gallop, the shorter but steeper short gallop or up through the village, which can be really difficult. If I never get faster, hopefully I’ll get fitter (and slimmer!).
More recently, I’ve run a few 10Ks so I’m determined to keep up the running habit.
Racing Staff Week
The end of June saw the annual Racing Staff Week. It annually falls on our quietest time with many staff members on holidays but we were still treated. One evening, we had stacks and stacks of Domino’s pizza and then the Cotswold Larder, a scrumptious cakery in Broadway, brought boxes of giant cookies, brownies and blondies. We were thoroughly spoilt. Even though it’s a brilliant initiative, which highlights all the distinct roles within the racing industry, Racing Staff Week is always held at a jump’s yard quietest time. It needs to be in August or September, when both codes are as busy as each other.
Racing Staff Week, April the Cat and after the Chocolate Run
A Cat called April
In the dog versus cat debate, I’d always been a staunch dog lover. Yet, a dark tabby cat nicknamed April at the satellite yard has wormed her way into my affection.
Back in October, April and three brothers – not fully grown but not kittens – were dropped off and lived up to their feline teenage status by escaping from their stable after a couple of days. They lived in the straw bales and still got fed but were feral. I only saw glimpses of shadowy cat shapes in the distance or running out of the barn. We know one of the brothers sadly got runover and the other two left but the girl cat stayed, and she got friendlier and tamer.
In the spring, April approached on silent paws, mewing and flicking her tail, lime eyes wary. For a while, she hovered nearby but by now, she’s my friend, twining round my ankles, arching her back, rolling over, purring and rubbing her head against my head. She’s been given spot-on wormer and de-flea and is always there, meowing, happy to see me.
Even when the horses are regularly turned out all the time, I now go over to feed the cat. And I’ve even brought her a packet of Dreamies!
Two Megs
Megan Petrie, 21, has been here over five years but in May, seventeen-year-old Megan Thackray, 17, joined us from the Northern Horseracing College. Colleague Lucy Westlake dubbed Megan ‘Old Meg’ to which a disgruntled Megan retorted she preferred, ‘Original Meg’.
Jobs of July
July’s weather was summery with a few heat waves and, of course, a few wet grey days too. Winners were non-existent but the jobs round the yard were still plentiful. The usual mowing, strimming and checking the holidaying horses occurred daily, plus painting the stables after they’d dried out, creosoting lots of fencing and even varnishing a couple of Lutyens benches.
I helped out secretary Jade Aspell to laminate the new stable name plates, which now have the owners colours on and look so much smarter, as well as some new A4 feed charts to go beside each stable, which will save the head lads scrawling up the horse’s daily feeds onto strips of white duct tape.
The laminator went at a snail’s pace, emitting a smell of scorched plastic as it chuntered through the big pile of printed sheets. The office was a buzz of tapping keyboards, humming from the printer, the phones shrilling and lots of banter from the social media man Tom Arkle and some cheesy pickup lines from Jade.
I continued to sort through more rugs, arranging them to be repaired and more washing and drying. Just as the rug room was full to the brim, the horses started to come back in from the fields so I could dole them out again, storing them by the stables for when the colder weather arrives.
My most favourite Monbeg Genius (Minnie) returned from the field with a tubby belly, coat sun-bleached into the colour of polished pine and his long straggly mane sun kissed with blonde highlights. I went and gave him a hug, wondering how this season will be. At least, now, there’s still hope for a winning one.
The rest of the stables, full of fresh shavings and smelling of pine, continued to fill up.
Painting Doors
On the stable doors, the chips, knocks and whacks of the past year had exposed fragments of the previous paintwork. There were hints of reddish-brown and a bright purple, which must’ve been quite a sight! The red-brown colour was from the time of David ‘The Duke’ Nicholson trained here, when Jackdaws Castle was newly built.
Now the doors have returned to the usual glossy black, obliterating the history for another year.
The pens have been emptied now to let the paddocks have a rest. The edges have also been strimmed, the grass topped and the weeds sprayed, so they are just awaiting the return of their winter horses. I’m happy in the knowledge that for this winter, the pens have already tallied up five winners: Mammies Boy, Sayva, Pyffo won two and Bob Bob Ricard. I’m even happier that Minnie is back in training.
Colleague Spotlight
At the end of July, we waved a fond farewell to maintenance man Florin Alin. In April 2015, Florin left his hometown of Gaesti in Romania, and has been here six years. He had stints working as a trainer at TRP Sealings in Hereford, an Amazon driver and a roofer, totaling his time living in the UK as nine and a half years.
Florin, tall and sapling lean, has worked in many different roles here, doing everything except riding a horse. He started as yard staff, looking after horses like Dreamsoftheatre, who was the first winner he led up, Lithic, Champagne At Tara and Another Hero, and often swam the horses and even had a stint giving the horses extra treatments such as the magnetic rugs and ice boots. He progressed to driving to the races before joining Madalin ‘Doc’ Marian Radu on the maintenance team. Therefore, Florin, 32, became adept at many tasks around the estate, from driving the tractors and Manitou Telehandler, harrowing the gallops to all sorts of maintenance jobs like fixing, replacing, repairing and mending absolutely anything and everything. Being a big team player with a huge work ethic, Florin was always willing to help and had the horses’ welfare at heart. It was never a problem to ask Florin to bring a bale of hay to the pens, change a light bulb or mend a water pot. His English was excellent and, over the years, owned a small fleet of cars, including a beloved Series 325i BMW.
We’ll all miss Florin but wish him luck doing his articulated lorry license back home.
What brought you to Jonjo’s? I came here through an agency with Ionut ‘John’ Dina.
Favourite role here: The maintenance. It keeps us busy and we do different things every day. I did enjoy working on the yard but it could become repetitive.
Favourite racehorse: Dreamsoftheatre who we called Dreamy, Rocco Royale (Poco) and Kioto Sun.
Favourite racecourse: Ascot. I took Champagne At Tara there a couple of time and he was placed. Second was Cheltenham for the Festival, when I took Champagne At Tara and Another Hero, who won best-turned-out.
Best day here: There has been so many but it was always a good day when Dreamy won.
What will you miss the most about here? Everything but mostly the people. We are like family – we get along so well and we’re close, especially the ones who have been here in the last three years.
Florin with the Boss and Doc, swimming horses with Fred and mowing away
Dream car: A dark blue BMW Series 325i.
Favourite meal: From KFC, a Mixed Bargain Bucket or a Box Meal with spicy wings, battered chicken and many different things, with an Oreo Shake, especially in the summer.
Favourite drink: I’m addicted to Coca-Cola.
Favourite snack: Tesco’s Bacon Rashers.
Favourite breakfast: A coffee with milk and lots of sugar wakes me up.
Other hobbies and interests: Cars and gaming on Call of Duty and World of Tanks.
Favourite film: Home Alone. Since I was a kid, I’ve watched it every year at Christmas. I know all the words and everything that happens but I still laugh.
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