Thursday 22nd May - Regional Day, The North
On Thursday 22nd May the North's regional day took place, members began the day with a visit to Alan Swinbank's Thorndale Racing Stables in Melsonby, North Yorkshire. Alan currently has 168 horses in training. Thorndale Stables covers 130 acres including gallops and turn out paddocks. The members were greeted by Alan's racing secretary Carol Daniels and were taken to a new complex, which is in the process of being built, and will comprise of 50 stables, an indoor exercise area, together with a new office and living accommodation. When completed it will probably house the 2-year-olds and youngsters, but this has not been fully decided yet. Members then moved back to the gallops to watch 3rd lot, one of whom was stable star Turbo Linn.
Back at the yard the members were met by the head lad Kevin Frost who gave a comprehensive tour of several of the stables in the main yard covering somewhere in the region of 75 horses, giving the members full details of the different stages of training for each horse and enabling lots of questions to be asked.
After lunch members moved onto Andrew Spalding's Hedgeholme Stud near Darlington, a 200 acre stud, standing four stallions and with their own broodmares and boarding mare facilities. Members were treated to a parade of the stallions resident at Hedgeholme Stud including Distant Music, an unbeaten champion Timeform rated 2 year old and first season sire Misu Bond, son of Danehill Dancer, a dual 2 year old Stakes winner. Joining them on the stallion roster at Hedgeholme for 2008, the established sire Josr Algarhoud, a Group 2 winning 2 year old and the tough and consistent top class miler Tillerman, with his first runners on the ground in 2008. Members then moved onto the paddocks to see a selection of the mares and foals.
Our thanks go to John Wills and Peter Onslow for organising a wonderful day, and especially to Alan Swinbank and his team and to Andrew Spalding and his family for opening their doors to the TBA members.
www.alanswinbank.com
www.hedgeholmestud.co.uk
