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14 pages
March 2015 • VOLUME XV NUMBER 2
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March 2015
£3.00
Cross Country Training Tips
from Francis Whittington PLUS What to Wear & Where to Go Schooling
We talk to the successful trainer Phil Middleton
PLUS: www.localrider.co.uk
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BHS Dressage & Jumping Show – Sands Farm Show Jumping – Eaglesfield East Sussex Pony Club Dressage – Golden Cross Goring & District Riding Club Dressage Series Hunting with the Kent & Surrey Bloodhounds Southdown Hunt East Pony Club Show Jumping – Ardingly
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Pony Club • Riding Club • Show Jumping • Dressage
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SPOTLIGHT
Phil Middleton
Words by Fiona Rafferty and pictures by Gavin James, GJMultimedia
Phil Middleton (right) on board Tales of Milan leads the way back down the gallop at his Buckinghamshire home, followed by Kevin Perry and Helen Day on Exitas.
Phil Middleton is quite possibly the luckiest person I have ever met. This is the tale of a man whose fortunes have been built on the spin of a two pound coin. Finding the positive in every situation Phil turned his two pounds into a successful business, which allows him to combine work with his passion, racing…
P Phil Middleton and Harry Haynes being presented with their prizes after Tales of Milan’s win in the London National.
hil Middleton is clearly hard working, determined and successful, yet listening to his progression from stable lad to Racehorse Trainer, it is evident that he has had an enormous dose of luck along the way. Such have been his lucky encounters and mini adventures it is hard to believe the story I am about to share is not straight from the pages of a book. Phil is most widely known in the equestrian industry as the man who brought Cortaflex to the United Kingdom. Together with his wife Julie and their Sussex based team, they are responsible for marketing and selling Equine America products across the globe, excluding the USA. It was one of those fortuitous moments in life which saw Phil call Bruce Snipes the developer and founder of Equine Cortaflex on the exact same day he was launching his new company, Equine America.
You can have all of the world
Sarah Ferguson at the start Phil pictured in March 1996 alongside g a horse called Irus, Phil Ridin r. Qata in race rance of a 42.2km Endu of $20,000. prize a g nettin finish was the first European to
Bruce had previously developed a range of equine products (he was the first to use electrolytes and biotin in horse supplements), including the popular product Red Cell, which he later sold. During the four year non-competition which followed the sale of his fist company period (Bruce could not commercially work with equine supplements during this time), Bruce spent the time researching and developing new products, including Cortaflex. Phil was familiar with Bruce’s original products as he had spent 12 years on the road selling them from his van and at shows, he sold so many he became known as the ‘Red Cell Man’. The same day Phil called Bruce he had left his previous company. Bruce said: “You are just the guy I am looking for. You can have all of the world apart from the USA.” Over the last sixteen years the Equine America brand and product range has grown and the success which came with it has allowed Phil to indulge in his love of racing. He had a number of
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Phil Middleton riding Tales of Milan
horses in training with Sussex based trainer Gary Moore, but six years ago took the decision to become a Permit Trainer, which allows him to train National Hunt horses for himself and family. Having listened to Phil chat about the course of his life it seems hard to imagine it taking the path it has, without his first lucky break. Phil grew up in Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, the son of a miner he left school aged 15 and started working on a chicken farm. Despite never having ridden he decided he wanted to be a jockey (a decision based on his fondness of racing and betting) and sent letters expressing his desire to several trainers. One evening he arrived home to two letters inviting him for an interview. They were both from trainers in Leicestershire, the first was from Tim Moloney (who trained Red Rum) and the second from Vic Speck. Phil decided to meet Vic Speck, cycling the forty miles there with his brother alongside for company.
What use are you to me? The interview appeared to be going quite well until Phil’s admission that he couldn’t ride. Vic flew into a rage, shouting: “What use are you to me, go and catch your bus home.” Having explained he had cycled 40 miles to the interview Vic conceded the lad might have something and agreed to give him a go. Phil may have bitten the dust most mornings, but it was an opportunity that gave him the experience to pursue his racing ambitions and the adventures which came with them over the subsequent years. He also has the wonderful memory of racing alongside Red Rum at the gallops, when he was in training with Tim Moloney. Phil raced Arabs for the late Jill Scrase winning the Arab Derby as well as the Stayers Championship at Goodwood. He had a couple of wins for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and admits it was a great honour to be racing wearing his colours. He also had great success on the Point-to-Point circuit. It was at one such event that the hand of fate touched Phil again. He saw a lady putting clay on a horse’s legs and enquired what it was. She explained the cooling effect the clay had and the benefits of applying after exercise. Phil borrowed
The horses enjoy daily turnout in their individual paddocks. Seen here Tales of Milan, with Exitas having a good gallop in the background. Assistant Trainer, Helen Day riding Exitas
some for the filly he was looking after and was amazed at how tight her legs were the following day, when normally they might be filled.
Selling from the back of his car Phil started buying boxes of the clay, literally selling it from the back of his car. One day the company supplying the Ice Tight clay said: “If you can sell like that, you should come and work for me, but you will need £2,000 to start.” At the time Phil was working several jobs to make ends meet, including driving a taxi. One of his customers was going to London for Ascot week and he asked Phil to go with him to drive him around. He said wear your best suit, we will watch the racing then go to the casino. Wearing his neighbour’s suit, with just £2.00 in his pocket Phil headed to London, with the constant thought in his mind of how to earn £2,000. Parking the car he found £10 on the ground. A mixture of doubles and trebles came in and Phil’s £12 stake became £1,200. A further £100 on an 8/1 tip from a friend romped home and yet there was still a night at the casino to enjoy. A couple of winning Black Jack hands later, Phil had more than the £2,000 required to start his own business. It was 24 hours, which changed the course of Phil’s life. If he hadn’t invested the money, he wouldn’t have met Bruce and 12 years later phoned him on the exact same day he was launching Equine America. A journey through life, which brings us to the present.
Constant adventure The pictures mounted on the walls of Phil’s beautiful home in Buckinghamshire show of a life packed full of adventure. There was the time he rode an Arab horse called Irus in a 25 mile Endurance race in Qatar, competing alongside Sarah Ferguson. Phil was the first European to finish the race winning $20,000. Letting his competitive spirit show, he revealed that some of the earlier finishers had taken a dubious route to the finish and in an almost surreal addition to the story, Bo Derek had driven alongside in one of the support vehicles passing Phil bottles of water.
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The gallops are set in the wonderful countryside of the Chiltern hills
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