Dairy farmer is man of many parts but horses are a passion
FARMER Brian Eckley, who farms three miles out of Brecon, where he has lived and worked since 1966, is today’s Turf Talk Questionnaire guest.
His farm used to be a dairy farm until 2005 but owing to the decline of the dairy industry in Wales he focused solely on a large herd of suckler cows.
Horses have always been a passion of Brian’s since he joined the local pony club as a teenager.
However, he’s a man of many parts, having competed in the Tetrathlon at national level and was shortlisted to compete at European level. He had his first ride at the Brecon Point-ToPoint at Llanfrynach when he was 17 and won on a horse called Tufted Duck.
Competing was not just limited to horse-racing, as in his Young Farmers’ days he was a successful dairy stock judge and represented Wales against the USA at the Royal Welsh Show.
I will always associate Brian with those two good point-to-pointers Loch Raven and Glynn Valley, which he seemed to win on every weekend back in the 1980s. Q: Where were you born? A: Crickhowell in 1953. Q: How did you become involved in horse racing? A: Through point-to-pointing Q: Your most exciting racing moment? A: I rode a horse called Loch Raven and we dead-heated with another horse called Wine Talk ridden by Paul Hamer in the four-miler at the Pentyrch Hunt. (BL writes: I remember reporting on the race for the Western Mail and it was the 1985 Welsh PointTo-Point Grand National at Llantwit Major). Wine Talk was owned and trained by hunt-racing stalwart Bill Hancock, a former Welsh cross-country champion who I used to compete against back in the 1960s. Oddly enough, both horses were at one time stable companions when trained in Ireland by Paul Doyle. Q: Two favourite racecourses? A: It is great that Hereford is now open again and Ffos Las has been good for me as a trainer. Q: Have you any racing dislikes? A: Yes. Bloodstock agents picking holes in my horses! Q: Who do you admire most in racing? A: Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien for his modesty and he is a genius. Q: What is your favourite sport outside of racing? A: Athletics. Q: Which two people would you like to be seated next to at a dinner? A: Sir Tony McCoy, because there will never be another National Hunt jockey as good as him, and former rider and trainer Joanna Morgan who has been a lifelong friend. I have great admiration for her achievements as a jockey and a trainer. Q: Do you have a favourite book? A: Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien’s autobiography. He revolutionised horse racing and breeding. Q: What is your favourite drink? A: Not really a big drinker but I enjoy the occasional real ale. Q: Who is your favourite singer? A: Wales’ own Katherine Jenkins. Q: What is your favourite television programme? A: ITV Racing, with Royal Ascot being one of my favourite televised meetings. Q: Finally tell us something that we probably don’t know? A: I have also spent 40 years milking cows and I have bred an All-Britain Champion heifer in 2008. I am looking forward to following two of the Jaunty horses which I sold this year. Jaunty Warrior is now in training with Gordon Elliot and Jaunty Flyer is in training with Tim Vaughan. .
Meanwhile, at the recent South Wales Point-To-Point Dinner/Dance and Presentation evening the Lewis family from Llanmartin, June, daughters Zoe and Hannah and son Guy, were presented with the John Ayres Special Recognition Award.
It was a tribute to June’s late husband Roger in recognition of his outstanding contribution to point-to-point racing as a rider, owner, breeder and to him being one of the founders of the South Wales Injured Jockeys Fund, set up in 1985.
Many riders who have found themselves on the injured list have received financial assistance over the past 30 years or so, and the presentation was made by John Ayre’s widow Bridget and her daughter Sarah-Jane.
The trophy was first donated by the Ayres family in 2014 as they wanted the recipient (person or horse) to be someone who had contributed in a special way to hunt-racing in Wales.
Email your racing news and views to brianlee4@virginmedia.com or telephone 029 2073 6438.