Alan Skeoch

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  • EPISODE 835 TIGALIE …THE HORSE THAT MADE SHENLEY STUD FARM FAMOUS, JUNE 5, 1912

    EPISODE 835    TIGALIE …THE HORSE THAT MADE SHENLEY STUD FARM FAMOUS, JUNE 5, 1912

    Alan skeoch
    June 27, 2023


    Epsom Derby 1912


    WHO WAS TIGALIE?  

      Finding TIGALIE was like OPENING  a door to a treasure room.
    …much about the past, particularly the years around 1912 when
    Shenlie stables was famous as a Stud Farm.  Only made famous
    because of one horse…TIGALIE.

      She was a small horse….a filllyl…a grey 
    filly.  Not much was expected  of her at Epson Downs on June 5, 1912.  Se ws racing
    against 19 stallions….big, aggressive horses.   The best of 1912 three year old 
    hoses.

    LOOK AT HER….TIGALIE


    THIS IS tigalie in 1915 with one of her colts, Mabella.
    .  The photo was taken three years after she won
    the Epsom Derby’s 1,000 guinea purse.


    We were walking down Rectory Lane, an obscure farm road
    almost overwhelmed by forest and shrubs.   An opening..a long
    ell low brick wall announced SHENLEY STUD FARM 1903.
    The bricks were old and faded as was the stone name.  Beside that
    sign was a smaller sign….so small that the name TIGALIE was almost
    obscured.


    This sign was designed by Nolan Skeoch in 2023 to advertise  Shenley Equestrian….located in the same horse styles where
    once TIGALIE was housed.


    BELOW IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE EPSOM DERBY RACE ON JUNE 5, 1912

    “ENGLISH DERBY DAY, JUNE 5, 2012


    GREAT RACE RUN IN A BLAZE OF SUNSHINE

    MULTITUDE GREETS KING AND QUEEN

    EPSON DOWNS

    “The gray mare is The best horse after all.”
    Derby Day ws Ladies’ Day all the way. The
     beautiful TAGALIE won the great race with
    ALL the ease and consciousness of a fine lady leading 
    her admirers across the green.  She never faltered,
    never for one moment was her supremacy in doubt.
    The flag fell, the historic Derby roar “They’re off!”
    went up in the glowing sunshine with the excited sob
    of tens and tens of thousand at the tail of it, and the
    brave little lady horse, with proudly arched neck
    and sweeping tail, went away and up the hill like a hare.
    She was the only filly in the race, and a gray one at that.
    They were all saying that a gray horse never had won
    theDerby, and never could. So there you are!
     
    TAGALIE not only won; she was supreme through every
    moment of the race.  Very soon nineteen gentlemen horses, 
    with  the right spirit of the true equine aristocrat acknowledged
    themselves TAGALIE’S faithful servants…all the way she was
    showing them her heels…silver plated, flashing like
    summer lightning.

    There never was a prettier race….the weather perfect.
    One little spatter of rain then the sun came out and shone most 
    gloriously in a heaven of blue…little white clouds romped
    across the sky like lambs. The air was sweet, the turf 
    was green and soft…soft enough for the most tender
    footed filly that ever cantered.

    The crowd was tremendous.  Mr. Henry Chaplin, who won
    the Derby win 1867 was bluff and hearty as ever as he gazed
    through his monocle and declared that he never remembered such
    a gathering.  The crowd stretched without a visible break
    around the whole vast circle of the course…all the fun of 
    the fair raged and shrilled.  

    Just before lunch King
    George V and Queen drove up from 
    the Downs station and the entire seethe of humanity
    burst outing a cheer of heart greeting.

     King George V wore a morning suit and a silk hat; the Queen
    a smart grey cloth coat and shirt with a pretty grey and
    white hat adorned with white feathers.  The large party in
    the Royal Box included his elder daughter Princess Victoria
    of Schleswig-Holtein, the Duke and Duchess pf Teck and the 
    Hereditry Grand Duke of Mecklenberg-Strelitz.  A great 
    number of fashionable people were there but Epson,
    unlike Ascot, is not s dressy function; it is a popular
    carnival (however) full of spirit and the clamour
    of a go-as-you-please festival.

    Note: The English Royal family were part  German.  Odd
    situation on verge of World War One.
    June 5, 1912


    This was run on Wednesday 5th June 1912 and the winner was bred by Mr Walter Raphael and trained by Dawson.Waugh at Newmarket. There were 20 runners from an initial entry of 353. The winner won by 4 lengths with 2 lengths between second and third. The winners time was 2 min 38.8 secs.


    WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?

    Two very different notes about the money.    One source said that the
    owner of TAGALIE received a purse of 1,000 gunnies, the 
    other was much higher at  more than 6,000    pounds..

    I assume The ‘purse’ was 1,000 guineas.  Let’ s work with that figure even though
    the actual winnings in the Epsom Derby  of 1912 may have been more than six 
    time that figure.   

    1) One thousand guineas in 1910 is worth 78,172.20 pounds …over $1.000,000 ,,, 
    ,,,, a lot of money that Walter Raphael shoved in his pocket 

    2) What could be bought with a thousand guineas in 1912.    For a starter Mr. Raphael; could buy
    36 ,more  horses for Shenley Stud Farm.  And he probably did because TIGALIE would
    need company.   She would be bred.

    3_ Water Raphael could buy 103 cows but  There is no indication
    of that.  Mr. Raphael was a financier living in London.   He brought friends out to his Shenley 
    Stud Farm from London for visits.  He did not live there.   Mr. Lynne ran the stud farm fo rMr Raphael
    and lived on he adjoining Elliot Farm with his family.  He should have gotten a reward … part of the purse
    but there is no record of that.   Wealthy people know how to hold on to their money….sorry that is 
    an unkind remarkL

    4) A thousand guineas could also purchase 1851 stones of wool or  781 quarters of wheat …I leave that
    for you to convert.

    5) Now this final figure is fascinating.  It says so much about England and  the landed aristocracy. 
    Walter Rapuhael could by 3030 ‘days wages’ from skilled tradesmen with that thousand guines purse.  
    He could hire a skilled horseman for nearly 3 years.   And he probably did.

    6) Suppose the purse was six times tht figure as most sources say.   Now tha is a lot of money/
    Little wonder that more than 340 English horsemen tried to qualify for a position at the Epson Downs
    starting gate in 1912.  There was only room for 20 horses…and  only one of those horses was a filly
    …the only grey horses in the race.   Her name was TIGALIE.   She made the Shenley Stud Farm
    famous.  sadly none of her colts were as strong.


    POST SCRIPT

    How much is a guinea worth in dollars?
    Originally Answered: How much is a ginea worth in dollars?

    A Guinea was 21 shillings In old L.S.D in today’s money that is £1.05 p . At today’s prices the pound is worth $1.41. So to get the exact amount we have to add one twentieth of the dollar exchange rate which is 0.8 cents plus $1.41 . So a guinea in dollars on the 24 th March 2018 would of been worth $1.49 . But in the days when the uk used guineas as currency this amount would of been at least three times greater .



    UNDERSTANDNG BRTISH MONEY BEFORE 1971

    The pound, for which a slang term is quid (still) was made of 20 shillings, slang term bob. Both quid and bob have the same form for singular and plural.

    A shilling was 12 pence. Pence is plural of penny when talking about value. Pennies is plural of penny when talking about the physical coins.

    That makes a pound worth 240 pence. 20 x 12

    A guinea was 21 shillings, so a pound and a shilling.

    A crown was worth. 5 shillings, or 60 pence, so a half-crown was 2 1/2 shillings, or 30 pence

    The money had such a high value that even a penny could be divided. There were halfpennies (pronounced hay-p nee) and farthings, which were worth a quarter of a penny.

    Other coins were the sixpence, threepence, pronounced thruppence, and the twopence, pronounced tuppence.

    The letters used were £ S D or LSD, for pounds, shillings, and pence, and that’s how prices would be displayed.

    As the value dropped the lower denominations were retired, such as the farthing in 1960.

    The money was decimalised in 1971 and a pound became 100 pence.

    Now Austen and Dickens will make more sense.

  • EPISODE 838 THERE ARE RISKS INVOLVED IN MANAGING A COUNTRY ESTATE …as Kevin discovered

    NOTE:  Before I get to the horse stories I think some credit is due to Kevin
    for getting the wayward jungle of the formal gardens under control.  It was not easy. It
    also could be darn dangerous.


    EPISODE  838    THERE ARE RISKS INVOLVED IN MANAGING A COUNTRY ESTATE …as Kevin discovered


    alan skeoch
    June 25, 2023

    What is strange about these pictures above?  Right guess!  They need a hair cut.



    English country estates had many employees ….they were needed to keep the 
    estate pristine … Just to keep the ornamental trees and hedges and formal grardens
    neat and tidy required a bunch of gardeners.   Our grandfather, Edward Freeman, was head
    gardener at the Eywood Estate near Kington, Herefordshire way back in 1900.  He
    had a staff of 10 ‘under gardeners’.

    Kevin Skeoch does not have that luxury so has undertaken to keep the Shenley Estate
    under control with a staff of one.  One person.   There are risks involved
    just pruning there ornamental shrubs.  So Kevin Skeoch is shaping the 
    Shenley Estate.  Rectory Lane, Hertfordshire more than a century later.

    “When we moved here the shrubs had become a forest and the grass was a hay field….
    took a lot of work bringing the estate back to life…and I am not finished yet.”

    “What comes next?”

    “See those tall ornamental cedars over there?’”

    “You have made them look beautifull except for the tops.
    Tops need a haircut.”

    “So I have borrowed this scaffolding from the carpenters.  On wheels.  help me
    push the tower over to the cedars.”

    “Joking!   Way too dangerous….you could killl yourself.”

    “Push!  Call Morgan out to help.”

    “Dad, this is stupid.  You cannot climb the scaffold…it will be top-heavy”

    “How else can I clip the rest of the two trees.”

    “Leave them alone….they look like immense pineapples now…”

    “No.  Push….Push”

    “Look at the ladder…impossible to get to the top platform and 
    then reach out with the clippers.”

    We argued and cursed.  Kevin responded in kind.  ‘Stupid is as stupid does’ was a line
    from a Tom Hanks movie that seemed to fit.   Kevin began to climb and then realized
    the ladder went to the sky and not to the upper platform.  Reluctantly he climbed down
    and made us a few drinks instead.  He never admitted verbally that Morgan, Marjorie and
    I were correct.





    Then he got another wild idea.   The Horse Trailer…flat roof he could stand on.

    “Help me pus the horse trailer into position…I can prune from the roof.”

    We did not move.  Kevin gave up.  His life was saved.




    Later we had lunch.   Kevin still asked about the cedars that needed a hair cut.  “The trailer is a good idea.” Meanwhile I  spent some time
    figuring Kevin’s I.Q.   Did he get his brains from his mother or me?

  • EPISODE 835 JUST WHO IS ALAN SKEOCH? (courtesy of Nolan Skeoch, granddajughter)

    EPISODE 846 JUST WHO IS ALAN SKEOCH
    alan skeoch June 24, 2023
    There is a chance that some readers might wonder just who is Alan Skeoch, author of these daily episodes. Well, one of my granddaughters, Nolan Skeoch captured me in her 3 second video below.
    No more need be said.
    > >
    Play the video below…3 seconds long
    {CAPTION}

  • EPISODE 833 SHENLEY STUD FARM 1903-1929…NOW KEvIN SKEOCH AND FAMILY LIVe HERE 2023




    EEPISODE 833    THE SHENLEY STUD FARM….KEVIN  skeoch JOINS THE GENTRY


    alan skeoch
    June 13 to 21, 2023


    Kevin Skeoch is now part of the English gentry as the manager of Shenley Equestrian Farm.  The farm
    has rolling pastures, a stately home, a formal garden , an electric gate, a billiard room and a large 
    enclosed swimming pool.    And more.

    Let me try to give you a pictorial overview of the stately country house with its 16 rooms and 6 bathrooms.
    Be prepared for a look at English county life from the inside.  Future episodes will feature the horses and
    the 500 acres of stately oaks and delicious grasses for the horses (about 18 horses…I lost count)

    So here are some pictures of the manor house.  Kevin  lives here at Shenley
    just a few miles north of London.  his daughters, Morgan and Morgan….their dogs and cats, 2 peacocks, …the whole ball
    of waz

    Horses in next episode

    alan




    “Marjorie . there’re bugs in the bed….come quickly.”
    “Alan, that is not a bug….that is part of the textile.”
    “Looks like a bug to me.”

    Reader:  Look at those two little specs … they are imitation bugs that fooled me.


    =

  • EPISODE 839 TRAVEL NIGHTMARE…LONDON TO TORONTO JUNE 21 AND 22, 223…TORTURE!

    EPISODE  839   TRAVEL NIGHTMARE…LONDON TO TORONTO JUNE 21 AND 22, 223…TORTURE!


    alan skeoch
    June 22, 2023




    Flying is not a happy experience.  Note the exhausted care giver flat out on the floor as she awaits the ‘special loading’
    of ill or handicapped passengers.  We were in this crowd.  Note Marjorie perched on her own luggage.  And we were special.
    This did not bode well.


    No, we were going to London, England rather than Singapore but the problem remains the same.  How can 300 people
    be packed into a jumbo jet?  How is it done?  What does it feel like?  Can I survive?”

    THE TRIP HOME WAS TORTURE….EDGAR ALLAN POE KIND OF TORTURE

    I would prefer to forget the last 48 hours.  Sheer torture of the thousand cuts kind. We were tricked by
    the beautiful sunshiny day in England when we awoke at 4 a.m., june 21, 2023.  Great to be alive kind of day in the
    early morning daylight.

    Marjorie was busy packing our bags for the return flight to Toronto supposedly take off time was high noon 
    from HeathRow.  That flight never happened,

    TIME LINE 8 A.M.,  JUNE 21:  “Alan, just got word our flight is cancelled due to a technical issue whatever that means.”
    TIME LINE  10 a.m.  June 21: “Alan, new flight will be tonight 1120…midnight

    SHORT VERSION OF EVENTS
    1) Awoke at 4 a.m June 21 Shenley, England
    2) Next sleep was 3.30 a.m. June 22, 2023 in Toronto…30 hours later.

    SHORTER VERSION
    1) WE have been awake for 29 hours and 45 minutes give or take an hour/
    No sleep for nearly 30 hours,
    2) Tortured for 7 hours in an airplane seat designed for children. Pure hell
    that never seemed to end.

    LONG VERISON
    1) Flight delay for 12 hours from 12 noon to 12 midnight
    2) Packed jumbo jet with 300 very unhappy passengers some of whom must have been medicated comatose
    3) My seat was 53H, aisle seat with large jolly man as partner.  I knew he was jolly because he kept pushing
    buttons to help me with the Tv screen. His body began an amicable takeover…
    4) Easy for him to do so because his body overlapped my body by about one third.  We shared 
    my arm rest until he fell asleep and took full arm rest and a nice slice of my seat surface.  Not his fault but
    seat designers must have known.
    5) I decided to give up territory and turned my body right angle.  …which meant both feet were now
    in public  space as stewardess gently reminded me.
    6) I have a bad knee….painful so decided to walk the aisles for the fulll 7 hours and 45 minutes of the flight
    7) Woman in centre seat noticed my agony so we both tried to lift the aisle side seat arm rest.  Failed.
    8) Young man in aisle seat ahead of me got up and helped me escape the Edger Allan Poe seat.
    (*Edger Alan Poe wrote  novel about a room too small for the human body) I popped out like a Champaign cork.
    9)  became an unhappy wanderer of public slit called an aisle.  Noticed things.  Like the large man… 250 to 300 pounds
    who sat aslant in his seat…bum partly on bottom, partly on arm rest.  Worse than my fate.  Even worse for the man
    sitting beside him who seemed about to be engulfed in a wave of human flesh.
    10) Others wandered with me.  All of us seemed to have been happy passengers on the cancelled flight. “Ive been awake
    since four this morning,” was comment we all shared….by then we had been awake for 20 to 24 hours. With more  to come.
     11) Stewadess found me an middle bulkhead seat….I thanked her before realising The foot space was less than my body length.
    Edger Alan Poe came to mind again.   I wondered why my mom had named me Alan at that point.
    12)  I tried a new posture.  Kneeled on my seat and faced backward viewing all passengers which included
    Marjorie who had a similar large man partner.   She was being slowly crushed. which raised another story 
    for Edgar Alan Poe were he still alive.
    13) I noticed  Marjorie was the only person wearing a mask in the back of he aircraft.  Mine had dropped and was lost
    to foot traffic.   Was that tiny bastard called Covid 19 hovering in the air.?  Which asked another Edger Alan Poe story
    that was yet to be written.
    14) I was calmed down by the thought that this flight would end soon.   We were moving at over 500 miles
    per hour.  Pain would end soon  That thought disintegrated when the pilot eased off on the throttle as we crossed
    over Nova Scotia.  Why slow down?  Only answer I  could think of was he wanted to extend the discomfort.  A masochist.
    And, yes, Edger came to mind once more.
    15) “Are we about to land?”, I asked the stewardess and she assured me we still had several hours of flight time. This was
    not assurance.  This was science fiction….A space/time warp. Then more food was handed out.    i thought of a scotch and water
    but did not ask.  The last time I did that the stewardess poured the whole sample bottle into a cup of crushed ice.  Too much. If I was drunk
    then pain would ease….was that her thought?
    So I let the food amd drink pass by.
    16)  Our earlier supper arrived at 1 a.m. which ws an odd time to be eating a full course meal.   No worries.  the meal may
    have been good but the cover was put on with super glue.  Could not be opened.  The bun was good when coupled with 
    a cold beer.  Fulll marks for those two  items.  Lucky I am left handed and could raise glass to mouth.    If I had been right handed
    then my jolly rolly polly partner would have made eating and drinking impossible as his mobile flesh began to flow into my territory.
    Even so, the hot meal was dumped into the trash. impossible to eat.   I had newly sliced two red peppers as rescue food but that
    was now three rows behind me where Marjorie must have been enjoying them with.  “Alan, let me help you,”
    she had said and then neatly took my red peppers.  Mean or thoughtful.?  Can  good intentions be clothed to cover evil
    thoughts.  Once again Edger Poe came.

    TOO MUCH INFORMATION?  LETE ME CLOSE WITH THE LIMO SCAM.

    Travelling luggage is never light as Marjorie prepares for every possibility including nuclear war.
    When I was single and a prospector in the Canadian wilderness my gear for three moths was packed
    in a singe rucksack.  Today’s baggage consisted of thee suitcases, a pack sack and an immense
    purse.   We do not travel light which is as much my fault as hers.  There were six bottles of English
    beer in the bags “because the beer labels are fascinating.”

    THE LIMO SCAM

    Marjorie flagged down a Limo.  Nice guy it seemed as he helped
    load the bags and drove us smoothly home.’

    “How much ?”
    “$57”
    “Here take $60 out of this #100 bill.”
    “Sorry I have no change.”
    RED FLAG!  RED FLAG!
    THIS SMELLS LIKE A SCAM….HE WANTS MY $100 BILL.
    “Let me see if I have $60…need the headlights.”
    “There, I have three twenties.”
    Driver hung around…seemed unhappy…seemed to want more money…maybe 
    I should have given him a larger tip.  But my mood was vile.  Due as much 
    to the fatigue as to his scam.   He got no more from me. He slipped way.

    MEANWHILE MARJORIE was hauling the luggage to the house in
    the darkness.  Had she eaten all my sliced peppers and felt guilty?

    As i said, my mood was pure evil.  Pure Edger Alan Poe.


    POSTSCRIPT:  I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT AIR CANADA IS
    AWARE OF THE FAILURE OF THEIR SEAT DESIGN…THAT
    MAY BE DELIBERATE…MAKING SEATING UNPLEASANT WILL
    ENCOURAGE UPGRADES!

    alan skeoch
    June 22, 2032