National Hunt Trainers Permit
For one season, I trained a couple of point-to-pointers (two places but no winners)
I later held a National Hunt Permit for a year. Once again, no winners but I did have a 66-1 second at Towcester in a handicap hurdle with a horse I’d bought for £1,000 at Malvern Sales. The same horse later came fourth at 50-1 in a novice chase at Fontwell. This was the year of the foot and mouth epidemic, I trained my horses in a nine-acre field.
Noddy (Political Power) schooling over fences for the first time
To get my permit, I had to attend the Horse Racing training course at the British School of Racing in Newmarket. Here I gained an NVQ Level 3 in Racehorse Management before going on to the Licencing Department interview for the actual permit (at 42 Portman Square, London).
