Month: June 2023

  • EPISODE 844 SHENLEY EQUESTRIAN….THE HORSES AND STABLES JUNE 24, 2023

    EPISODE 844    SHENLEY EQUESTRIAN….THE HORSES AND STABLES  JUNE 24, 2023


    alan skeoch
    june 2023




    Much of Shenley Equestrian rests on the shoulders of Kevin Skeoch.   A heavy load. I would sure have difficulty
    as I am very nervous around horses.  The horses know that and do theer best to intimidate me. Maybe I am  wrong
    Maybe they just want  a kiss.  Ears back is the clue.  Look for it.  No point in much dialogue here.  Photos say it all.

    1) A long series of box stalls for horses  Built n 1903 with money provided by a London financier who you met earlier.
            ’Two colours of bricks.   Yellow for the basic buildings and red for the finishing touche….their is a word for
    this that I have forgotten,

    2) Luxury home for each horse.  Room to excercise and the horse can lay down if it so wishes.    New bedding of wood shavings each day while 
    the soiled shavings and straw are removed.   These are pampered animals.  

    3) Five hundred acres of pasture…more  than the horses will ever need.

    4) A professional team of horsewomen 

    No need for much comment.   Look at the pictures

    alan


    Ears back!  Horse nervous.  Did not like me.




    Mungkin imej kuda dan rumputMungkin imej 1 orang dan kuda



    Mungkin imej 2 orang, kuda, seluar dan teks yang berkata 'SHENLEY EQUESTRIAN SHENLEY'Mungkin imej 2 orang dan kuda
  • EPISODE 842 RELAXED RIDE WITH NOLAN SKEOCH TO THE SHENLEY STABLES

    EPISODE 842 RELAXED RIDE WITH NOLAN SKEOCH TO THE SHENLEY STABLES JUNE 28, 2023
    ALAN SKEOCH
    Getting to the Shenley stables may take a little longer as Nolan wants to take a short jaunt through the gardens.
    > Play the video below
    >> >>  {CAPTION}

    On the way we passed by the peacock

  • EPISODE 840 A WALK DOWN RECTORY LANE, SHENLEY STUD FARM, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND JUNE 2023

    EPISODE 840   A WALK DOWN RECTORY LANE, SHENLEY STUD FARM, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND  JUNE 2023

    alan skeoch
    June 2023



    This is Rectory Lane.   The only way  tor reach Shenley Stud Farm is this
    single lan road which is engulfed by greenery.   Hertfordshire seems to
    have been  ignored by tourists.    Rectory Lane is a road that seems to have been
    forgotten…sides reserved for foxes and horses and those little spiny things called hedgehogs 
    which are rarely seen.

    We met a horse and rider.    They both acted like the road was theirs and we were
    trespassing.   As we were.

    If you want to visit Shenley Stud Farm then you must go down Rectory Lane.
    Relax.   You will enjoy the trip.














    Congratulations.     Next episode you will meet the horses that now
    live where once TIGALIE LIVED.

    MARJORIE  wants me to remind you that Nolan Skeoch created the  Shenley Equestrian sign.
    You will meet her shortly.   Morgan Skeoch, her sister, escorted you down Rectory Lane with her two
    Daschounds Emily and Basil.

    ALAN
  • 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.


    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?