EAST ANGLIA REGIONAL DAY - 14 JULY
Visit to Godolphin and Newmarket Equine Hospital
Fifty TBA members were most privileged on Tuesday 14th July when they were taken on a tour of the Godolphin stable yard. A tour, I believe, not opened to any other group of people thus far. The morning started with members, joined by Saeed bin Suroor and Simon Crisford, watching second lot on the private gallops, an impressive group of 36 two and three-year-olds, plus a couple of older horses, including Donativum (winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at two) and Hatta Fort (Gr 2 winner at two and Gr 3 winner at three).
After returning to the stables, members were offered breakfast and were able to watch the horses returning from exercise, being cooled off in the sunshine. The group was there given an 'access all areas' tour of the stables, formerly known as Stanley House stables, which were built by Frederick Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby, at the start of the 20th century. Sheikh Mohammed, Godolphin’s founder and driving force, purchased the stables in the late 1980s.
There are around 100 horses in the yard at present. Simon Crisford, Diana Cooper and Gilly Burn showed members the first-class facilities, including the equine spa, 70 metre swimming pool and covered walkways. The horses all looked in great condition and very relaxed, especially considering the unusual event of fifty TBA members wandering around their boxes!
From Godolphin it was then on to the Newmarket Equine Hospital, where another first- class establishment was taken in by members. David Ellis, head partner at the practice, welcomed members who were split into smaller groups for the tour. James Crowhurst, Zara Wise, Mark Hillyer and David Ellis showed members the facilities, including the stable yards, operating theatres, scintigriphy unit, MRI scanner, Intensive Care Unit, lunge and menage area, plus the isolation boxes. Members were given demonstrations on the diagnostic techniques available at the practice, firstly on the images created by MRI scanning by Meredith Smith and then the development of the use of over ground endoscopy by Mark Tunstill. A most fascinating tour and a wonderful facility for all equines.
The TBA would like to thank everyone involved with the day, including Richard and Rachel Wilson, TBA Regional Representatives who organized the day, and our very generous hosts at Godolphin and the NEH.
