Yorkshire is filled with racing stables, each vying to produce the next champion. From trainers based up on the border with County Durham and Teesside, down to those in Doncaster and Barnsley, the county is ripe with quality bloodstock. The Easterby family encapsulates that, with a legacy of winners behind them and set to make their mark in the future.
Peter & Tim Easterby
Last June, the racing world lost a true icon when the passing of Peter Easterby was announced to the world. At the wonderful old age of 95, the Malton-based trainer had a rich and fruitful career, with a legacy that was one to behold. Easterby became the first British trainer to have 1,000 winners over flats and jumps. His record included winning the Champion Hurdle on three separate occasions and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice.
His passing was not the end of his legacy, however. Easterby had retired in 1996 and handed his license to his son, Tim. Tim’s son, William, a more than competent amateur rider, retired earlier this month from the Point-to-Point scene with a tally of 102 winners to join thr board of the Point-to-Point Authority. His great-uncle Mick is also a trainer, leaving the lineage in good hands.
Tim himself has a sterling pedigree, having taken over the Habton Grange Stables from his father in 1996. So far, his standout horse has to have been Bollin Eric, who romped home in the 2002 St Leger. He has also had Group I wins with Pipalong, Fayr Jag and ArtPower, amongst others.
Horse racing continues to have an enduring appeal in the eyes of the British public. This has primarily been fostered by Britain’s racecourses, which have adapted and moved with the times. Many of them use modern methods to attract new visitors, such as putting on concerts and events alongside the racing.
They also use online promotions to attract new visitors, similar to those you might find in retail, ecommerce or casino online UK sites. Examples include reduced prices for local residents, midweek discounts, or packages that combine admission tickets with a food offer. These methods help racing keep up with modern pastimes, despite its long history, even if they don’t play well with old-fashioned stockmen like the Easterbys who would likely prefer the racing stood on its own two feet!
Mick Easterby
Mick is another great trainer, based in Sheriff Hutton outside York. He trains horses for flat racing and National Hunt races. His most recent big win was in the 2007 Winter Derby with Gentlemen’s Deal. Before that, he’d enjoyed winners of the King’s Stand Stakes and Nunthorpe Stakes. His son David joined him on the licence in 1997.
Also running a farm, each year, Mick gives back to the community through a Point to Point, the amateur division of steeplechasing for amateur riders and trainers, played out over fences on private land. It is a great way for young horses that need experience to test out the lay of the land before competing in professional racing, or for veteran chasers to teach young riders. All proceeds from this are then given to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service.
The Easterby family has a strong legacy of top-flight racehorse training. Both branches of the family continue to produce top flight horses in flat and jump racing. Despite having two separate operations, both trainers have much in common. Neither run the kind of stables that train horses en masse with a uniform approach. Instead, they tend to the individual needs and strengths of the animal. Their hands-on approach is encapsulated in Mick’s first love of his working farm. Together, they bring together everything that is great about Yorkshire’s rich racing history.
