NH Trainers Permit: Navigating the Journey of a National Hunt Permit Trainer
Introduction to National Hunt Training
Becoming a National Hunt Permit Trainer was an exciting challenge that required dedication and knowledge of horse management. In this post, I share my experiences from holding a National Hunt Permit Trainer’s Licence for one season and the journey that led me there.
Starting with Point-to-Pointers
Initially, I trained a couple of point-to-pointers, managing to secure two places but unfortunately no wins. Although the outcomes were not as desired, the experience opened doors for me in the world of horse training. My highlight came when I trained a horse called Political Power who I purchased for just £1,000 at the Malvern Horse Sales. This horse showed some improved racecourse performances for my training, such as finishing second at 66-1 in a handicap hurdle at Towcester Racecourse.
Preparing for the Trainer’s Permit
To obtain my National Hunt Trainer’s Permit, I enrolled in the horse racing training course at the British School of Racing in Newmarket. Completing this course allowed me to earn an NVQ Level 3 in Racehorse Management. I later attended an interview at the Jockey Club Licensing Department located at 42 Portman Square, London.
Even though my one season as a Permit holder didn’t produce winners, I cherished working with my horse, which also placed fourth at 50-1 in a novice chase at Fontwell Racecourse during the year of the foot and mouth epidemic.
To accompany my journey, I have included a video of Political Power schooling over fences for the first time.
Ludlow Racecourse
Walmer Sands Result
Finished 4th / 10 ran
3/10/1988
Newark International Antique Fair Handicap Chase
Southwell Racecourse
Rimfire Result
Finished 2nd / 5 ran
8/10/1988
Paymasters Selling Handicap Hurdle
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Walmer Sands Result
Finished 11th / 14 ran
8/10/1988
Staffordshire Yeomanry Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Rimfire Result
Finished 4th / 12 ran
15/10/1988
Cock Bank Novices Hurdle
Bangor on Dee Racecourse
Self Raising Result
PU / 18 ran
15/10/1988
Sotheby’s Chester Handicap Chase
Bangor on Dee Racecourse
Baluchi Result
Finished 2nd / 3 ran
15/10/1988
Willis Wrightson North Handicap Chase
Bangor on Dee Racecourse
Crowecopper Result
Finished 1st / 6 ran
15/10/1988
Fenns Bank Novices Hurdle
Bangor on Dee Racecourse
Arenisco Result
Finished 10th / 16 ran
15/10/1988
Marston Border Breweries Novices Chase
Bangor on Dee Racecourse
Walmer Sands Result
Finished 5th / 7 ran
20/10/1988
Burton Rubber Company Handicap Chase
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Rambling Wild Result
Finished 4th / 6 ran
20/10/1988
EBF Foston Intermediate Chase
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Rimfire Result
Finished 1st / 6 ran
Rimfire was getting on a bit when I rode him, when we won this Uttoxeter together he was 13 years old… Rimfire was a good jumper and stayed 3 miles+ well… my dad bought Rimfire off Lord Shrewsbury for £400… I wish I’d had more horses like Rimfire to ride!
10 Rides on Rimfire all over fences
1x 1st
3x 2nd
3x 3rd
2x 4th
1x 6th
Video – Rimfire winning at Uttoxeter Racecourse
EBF Foston Intermediate Chase
1 Rimfire R Bevan
2 Oakgrove B Dowling
3 Rath Wonder S J O’Neill
PU Half A Buck M Sharratt
PU Homepath H Davies
PU Some Do J Bryan
22/10/1988
Ratley Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle
Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse
Snooker Table Result
Finished 14th / 19 ran
27/10/1988
Newark Storage Novices Chase
Southwell Racecourse
Rimfire Result
Finished 6th / 13 ran
3/11/1988
Hawkes Bay Trophy Conditional Jockeys Handicap Chase
Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse
Crowecopper Result
UR / 8 ran
3/11/1988
Warrnambool Trophy Handicap Chase
Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse
Rambling Wild Result
UR / 7 ran
18/11/1988
Stour Novices Chase
Nottingham Racecourse
Stormguard Result
Finished 2nd / 3 ran
18/11/1988
Radio Trent Handicap Chase
Nottingham Racecourse
Ardent Spy Result
Finished 3rd / 5 ran
26/11/1988
Market Rasen Novices Hurdle
Market Rasen Racecourse
Chico Valdez Result
Finished 12th / 20 ran
28/11/1988
Bulwell Handicap Chase
Nottingham Racecourse
Aldro Result
Finished 5th / 6 ran
28/11/1988
Woodborough Novices Chase
Nottingham Racecourse
Stormguard Result
Finished 5th / 6 ran
29/11/1988
Houghton Selling Hurdle
Huntingdon Racecourse
Your Office Result
PU / 18 ran
2/12/1988
Partridge Novices Handicap Chase
Southwell Racecourse
Annie Ra Result
Finished 4th / 15 ran
2/12/1988
Curlew Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Southwell Racecourse
Royal Cracker Result
Finished 14 / 20 ran
3/12/1988
Stan Mellor Handicap Chase
Nottingham Racecourse
Covent Garden Result
Finished 4th / 5 ran
5/12/1988
Long Haul Handicap Chase
Worcester Racecourse
Ardent Spy Result
Finished 4th / 9 ran
A mid-race incident with P Scu in this 3 miles 5 furlongs Long Haul Handicap Chase at Worcester
Scu was riding the favourite Ardesee and I was on Ardent Spy
The race was a staying chase, 3 times up the home straight, Scu was out in front but his mount Ardesee kept jumping right handed (each time Scu would track back over to the rails), I was a couple of lengths behind, on the rail (2nd/3rd) and I was thinking “If he keeps jumping right-handed I’m going to jump up Scudamore’s inside” it was just deciding when
Going down the back, approaching the water jump I thought “This is it” and Ardent Spy jumped it like a stag and true to form Ardesee went right handed… for a short time we were in front which must of pissed Scudamore off a bit because he scrubbed Ardesee along, got him back in front and over his left shoulder he shouted back at me “You F?cking Crazy C?nt Richard”
Neither of us won, he was 3rd, I was 4th… nothing was said in the weighing room
At the end of the day Champion Jockey’s don’t pay your wages!
8/12/1988
Norbury Chase
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Spartan Native Result
Finished 5th / 13 ran
10/12/1988
Sheila’s Cottage Handicap Chase
Doncaster Racecourse
Covent Garden Result
FELL / 4 ran
Warwick Racecourse
Golfers Sunrise Result
Finished 5th / 20 ran
14/12/1988
Holly And Ivy Conditional Jockeys Handicap Chase
Worcester Racecourse
Modern Music Result
PU / 11 ran
14/12/1988
Tattersalls Mares Only Novices Chase Qualifier
Worcester Racecourse
Annie Ra Result
Finished 5th / 15 ran
15/12/1988
Christmas Tree Handicap Chase
Southwell Racecourse
Aldro Result
FELL/13
I broke my collar bone in this fall and was also concussed
5/1/1989
Highland Spring/ROA Handicap Chase
Nottingham Racecourse
Covent Garden Result
Finished 5th / 9 ran
7/1/1989
Horncastle Novices Chase
Market Rasen Racecourse
Annie Ra Result
Finished 1st / 10 ran
Annie Ra… I’m glad I won on her because I don’t think she was the easiest to ride… she could start slowly, would always carry her head very high and also pulled quite hard… but at least she jumped
Apart from her being a tricky ride a certain trainers son once said to me that his father thought Annie Ra would be best with me not riding her and that he was looking forward to another jockey riding her in races (a jockey who interestingly enough, also had the Christian name Richard)… It’s something which still sticks in my side but at least I had the satisfaction of this win!
16 rides on Annie Ra over hurdles and fences
1x 1st
1x 3rd
5x 4th
4x 5th
1x 6th
1x 7th
1x 8th
1x SU
1x UR
Annie Ra winning at Market Rasen Racecourse
Horncastle Novices Chase
1 Annie Ra R Bevan
2 Barn Brae Mr J Barton
3 Ringmore Derek Byrne
4 Oxford Place M Pepper
5 Super Sue P A Farrell
6 Boreham Down G ‘Old’ Martin
F Ballyshannon Run J Bryan
PU Vagabundo J McLaughlin
PU Sagart Aroon M Brennan
PU Picadilly Prince S Turner
9/1/1989
Bridgnorth Novices Hurdle (Div I)
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Golfers Sunrise Result
Finished 8th / 16 ran
9/1/1989
Cement City Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Ardent Spy Result
Finished 2nd / 7 ran
Ardent Spy finishing 2nd at Wolverhampton Racecourse
Cement City Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
1 Travel Over R J Beggan
2 Ardent Spy R Bevan
3 Crowecopper Peter Scudamore
4 Scale Model J Bryan
5 Way Under M Perrett
6 Foxbury Gee Armytage
7 Funchen View J D Doyle
12/1/1989
South Muskham Novices Hurdle
Southwell Racecourse
Prince Celtic Result
Finished 3rd / 14 ran
17/1/1989
Bransford Novices Hurdle (Div II)
Worcester Racecourse
The Berwick Result
PU / 24 ran
17/1/1989
Sale Green Novices Handicap Chase
Worcester Racecourse
Annie Ra Result
Finished 5th / 16 ran
Katabatic (1991 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner) won this race
18/1/1989
Church Stretton Conditional Jockeys Selling Hurdle
Ludlow Racecourse
Resha Result
Finished 17th / 19 ran
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Roy Prince Result
Finished 2nd / 4 ran
28/3/1989
Levy Board National Hunt Flat
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Amdaja Result
Finished 9th / 12 ran
A spare ride for Herefordshire trainer Paul James. The owner was Jerry Wright who later owned a horse called Now Your Talkin who David Nicholson trained to win a few races. The interesting runner in this race was Miinnehoma trained by Owen Brennan and owned by comedian Freddie Starr. Miinnehoma was having its first race but won quite easily at 25/1. Miinnehoma went on to win the `Sun Alliance’ Chase at the 1992 Cheltenham Festival and also the 1994 Martell Grand National Chase at Aintree.
Freddie Starr was at the races and I remember seeing him before the race having a joke with some racegoers
Starr had got a Hawaiian type shirt on that was unbuttoned well down from the collar (and his chest hair was showing) and over the top of that he’d got a leather jacket with a zip
The joke was he pretended he was so cold he’d got to do his jacket up and then to play the fool he made out he’d caught his chest hair in the zip which was making several people laugh
A typical Freddie Starr trick and something I saw before getting legged up to ride Amdaja in the race
29/3/1989
Newland Handicap Chase
Worcester Racecourse
Aldro 20/1 Result
Finished 5th / 5 ran
Aldro… by the time I get on him he was an old timer who’s engine had gone
I wouldn’t have minded riding him 7 years earlier but I would have needed time off school to do that!
Reflecting on the School Christmas Holidays of 1983
The school Christmas holidays of 1983 were particularly memorable for me. I had planned a unique experience at “The Duke’s” (David Nicholson), aiming for a week of “work experience” just before the festive break. Excitement filled the air as I had everything arranged; however, there was a catch – I hadn’t informed my school.
A Journey into the Unknown
In August of the same year, I already had a week-long stint at Nicholson’s, which had gone smoothly. This time, I prepared to ask my school for the last two days off to head down to Cotswold House Racing Stables. My mum wrote a letter, stating that I would not attend school for the last two days of term so I could gain some hands-on experience at The Duke’s racing stables. The setup felt promising, but I was met with reluctance from my educators.
The Unexpected Hurdle
Upon approaching Mr. Burrows, my excitement waned as he expressed his dismay. Schools had regulations for work experience, and the acquaintance I had built didn’t seem to matter. The situation escalated to Mr. Mills, who was known for his firm demeanour. After some phone calls to my mum and The Duke, my plan gradually materialized. They agreed I could leave school early, under the condition that a report be filled out by Nicholson for my return to school.
Ultimately, this adventure taught me an important lesson: sometimes, keeping things to yourself can ensure smoother sailing. I headed to The Duke’s for the Christmas holiday, and my experience was marked by the simplicity of enjoyment, capped by a report reading just one word – “Good”. Reflecting on those days, I realise how critical it is to navigate the balance between enthusiasm and communication.
The Coach and Horses Pub in Longborough were my digs while I was on work experience and I shared a room with Mark Pitman
