The Part-Timers of Jackdaws Castle

As well our team of full time staff, the yard has a small band of part-timers who ride out, either at weekends or in the week. They all have other careers or jobs but have become a much loved part of the mornings...

All our part-timers ride out because they love doing so but none more so than Phil Johnson. New to the area, Phil more or less turned up two autumns ago and has

become a much-loved part of Saturday mornings. Any other morning that Phil, 56, comes to ride out is always a bonus. Having once been under the tutelage of Henry Candy and Martin Pipe, as well as more recently riding out speedy Flat horses at Mick Appleby’s, he’s a great rider and a top bloke. Plus, he supplies the pallets of the huge bags of carrots that keep the yard going for the horses’ titbits for much of the season.

Originally from North Lincolnshire, Phil and his wife Helen, known as Hellie, live in Maugersbury, near Stow-in-the-Wold. Hellie and Phil have been married for twenty-seven years, which Phil sums up in saying, ‘I love Hellie and married life.’ They have two children in Eliot, 22 and Grace, 21 and Hellie owns Bob the Border terrier. Phil is the Shareholder and Group Director at Nationwide Produce PLC – a fresh produce industry food company. Hence the carrots! ‘I really enjoy supporting career development and progression for each individual, to be and achieve the best they can,’ he says.

Did you have a horsey childhood? As a ‘never ridden before’ eight-year-old child, I ended up with a £50 pony off the Welsh mountains, which had been bought randomly by my non-horsey parents for my older sister. My dad was a bit of a wheeler-dealer; a great fella but quite financially chaotic so we often had new ideas and animals turning up. We had an eighty-acre tenant farm…sounds grand – it was a council house with some rough grassland behind and a big barn.

Anyway, the pony, Pepi, proceeded to swiftly bury my sister, leaving me wanting to prove I could ride him. He ended up being a really good mounted games pony. We won all the local and county gymkhana games, and were part of the Prince Philip Cup team. He was red hot and great fun. As I got older, I ended up with a few additional pony and small horse throw-outs to spin on.

Phil winning on Tom Rum at Bath in July 1987

How did you get into racing? At thirteen, I wrote to Richard Pitman as I wanted to be a jockey (I was tiny and liked to go fast) – he kindly wrote back and gave me a few options to contact. One of which, Henry Candy invited me down for a trial when I was fourteen…I went for three weeks, stayed five and never looked back. Over the next few years, I went back at every opportunity. I left school at sixteen – with no exams and fully set on being a Flat jockey…I weighed 5¾ stone and rode on the flat for just over a season.

At the time, Mr Candy’s was the best apprentice yard in the country, with over ten jockeys, professionals and apprentices, working there. It was a great place to be involved in, learn from and Mr Candy is a very special person. I am still in touch with him now and admire him greatly.

Whilst at Mr Candy’s, I rode two winners on the Flat. At the start, I could ride at 7.7 stone whilst claiming 7lbs… Twelve months later, following an untimely growing spurt, I weighed 8.7 stripped. So, decided to try over jumps and joined Martin Pipe’s.

Which trainers have you worked for? Henry Candy – Apprentice; Martin Pipe- Conditional; Richard Frost – Conditional; Oliver Sherwood – Conditional. (To be fair, Mr Candy and Mr Pipe had the sensible me. By the time I went to Mr Frost’s and Mr Sherwood’s, I was not in the right head space. I was cocky and more party-minded so these weren’t my best years.)

Were you ever a jockey? I rode two winners on Flat and seventeen over jumps. As previous mentioned, I liked to have too much fun and got into the party scene. I packed it in aged twenty-two and literally booked a plane ticket to Kavas, Corfu at the end of the jumps season. I stayed there for about seven months as an illegal worker; crazy brilliant times. Looking back, it was probably the best thing that happened. I may have been OK as a jockey, possibly been a journey man…but with the knowledge I have now of how difficult a life that is, the concept frightens me.

Anyway, I needed to get the madness out of my system and to be fair…I had some wild, but great times travelling and partying for the next five years!

What was it like working for Martin Pipe? Good – at the time, Martin Pipe was unique; other trainers didn’t like him, his approach, training methods…everything was different. There were questions on some of his methods, he liked horses but didn’t keep pets. They ran, they won, they were moved on when they were at the top of their handicap or needed time out. This wasn’t how jump horses were traditionally dealt with, which caused some to raise questions. I was there when The Cook Report came out – that was a strange and difficult period for him and his family.

What did you enjoy about riding out for Michael Appleby? After ten years of solid hunting, I returned to racing. I had got slightly addicted to hunting. In those ten years, I hunted with twenty-four packs – in my last season, I went on tour and followed twenty-one packs. I had four horses in hunt livery, which cost a blooming fortune. Hunting was great fun but it came to the point that I had to go out to keep the horses going and started to lose interest…so sold up and messaged Mick to see if he would let me ride out. He thankfully let me and I had a great time. He’s an interesting fellow that I really warmed to; a man of few words, lots of laughs and spicy hot flat horses – it was top fun.

What made you leave racing originally? As above – too cocky and busy partying.

How did you start riding out at O’Neill Racing? In October 2023, I moved to the area with work – after just fancying a change in location, the children had left home and with working a lot in the Evesham office, moving to the area made sense.

Favourite racehorses: Too many to mention – there are lots I like for different reasons. I’m happiest on a horse but I also recognise I’m getting older – riding out won’t last for ever so I’m enjoying every day I can.

Favourite racecourse: I like evening meetings on small courses. Windsor on the Flat or Newton Abbott on the Jumps would be my favourites.

Favourite jockey: This changes…that’s the reality at my age as many have retired!! Charlie Deutsch stands out at the moment. He’s a very quiet rider with beautiful hands, which I think is why horses gain in confidence and run for him. I also recognise he comes from a position of adversity due to errors in judgement…I like that. I find it hard to comprehend how one or two errors in judgement can hold anyone back and admire people who are able to find success following difficult experiences.

Favourite racing party: Possibly as you may have gathered – too many to mention…or possibly fully remember!!

What is the best aspect to riding out at O’Neill Racing? The team – from the O’Neill family, office, yard workers, riders, everyone is ultra-friendly and welcoming. It’s a beautiful yard and setting – but the people make it special.

When I rode out for Mick Appleby, I decided to not to take any payment for it – I just felt it suited me better as I would get as much out of it as they would – as previously mentioned I’m happiest on a horse. When I came to O’Neill Racing, I offered the same. However, Jonjo wouldn’t accept this, thinking it was not right. This is a sign of the man, a real compliment to him and his views. But, this put me in a difficult position due to my own views so I offered to ride out with payment to be made to the Injured Jockeys Fund. Jonjo and AJ wholeheartedly agreed with this idea and so far, my riding out and O’Neill Racing payments have raised just under four thousand pounds for this great cause.

What is the worst aspect to riding out at O’Neill Racing? This is a difficult question and after some thought, I conclude that coffee is missing. It’s a long morning without a hot drink. I have a coffee at 6am at home and then the next hot drink is post-midday if I do four or five lots. I understand the need to keep going as we seem to run out of riding time – I just miss a caffeine hit mid-morning.

What is your favourite ride this season? Again, as above, I’m happiest on a horse, so lots of good rides and it’s hard to pick one out.

Best advice you’ve been given about riding racehorses: Any advice that helps me quickly became accustomed to them and keeps them happy – I like to ‘check in’ on new steads and rely on Georgina Plumb, Lucy Westlake and Alan Berry for any info. ‘Berry’ is my favourite guide…only because if he’s not ridden them, it normally means it’s not needed his attention, so is fairly quiet.