Searle, Derek

I was born in West Ham on Saturday 21 June, 1947.

My parents were Richard & Florence. They had six children, me and my twin sister Christine, two other sons, Richard & Jack, and two other daughters, Kathleen & Eileen.

I left school at 15 and went to work with my father and brothers as laggers which involved the use of all types of insulating materials including asbestos.

My father later died of the disease: I was also exposed to it and consequently now have a collapsed lung and pleural thickening.

After a year I told my father that I didn't want to do this work anymore, so he suggested I got into horse racing. I was small for my age and had no racing background apart from putting on bets for him and my brothers.

I had never even sat on a horse apart from winning a donkey derby at Pontins when I was about 14. 

I remember people saying after that I was a natural and that I should be jockey.

My father wrote off to all the big trainers 'as they had the best horses'.

He wrote to Major Peter Cazalet, N. Crump, W. Stephenson and F. Walwyn.

Only Cazalet had a vacancy and he wrote back arranging an interview.

Me and my father went to his stable in Kent. It was called Fairlawne and was in the village of Shipbourne.

My last licence

Me on Chalot outside his box

We were shown into the office by the secretary, a Mr Wiffin, who told us Mr Cazalet would be with us in a minute.

I remember when he came in, my father was stood with his hands in his pocket.

Cazalet said to him 'take your hands out of your pockets, man, and stand up straight!'

My father's face went red.

I stood there shaking.

Cazalet then asked me about myself, wanting to know where I'd learnt to ride and how long I had been riding.

I said I had learnt at a local riding school and had been riding for as long as I could remember.

Of course, this was a lie. I had never sat on a horse in my life, Just the donkey derby.

Cazalet seemed pleased with my answer and asked me when I could start. I said straight away.

I went home thinking how am I going to get away with this?

With a mate, I went to a riding school and the owner put me up on an old racehorse called Charlie.

With just three rides on him, I felt like I had been riding for years.

I was ready to go.

I was given a date to start and, arriving, was met by the head lad, Mr Fairgreaves. That Sunday afternoon, he showed me to my room which was one of 12 dormitories for the single lads above the stable block.

He told me to get an early night as work started at 5 a.m sharp and that if I were a minute late, I would lose my half day off. 

I got up early the next morning and after a briefing in that tack room I was introduced to the other lads.

There were three Dereks, one nicknamed Dobby. I was wearing a ring and from that moment until I left racing, I was known as Ringo.

The head lad put me with Richard Dennard, who showed me how to muck out, tack up and groom.

For the first days I just walked injured horses around the yard, then Mr Cazalet said that I could ride a retired chaser called Scottish Flight which had once run in the Grand National.

I was told to tuck him in behind the others just to see how I got on.

All went well, and a week later I was promoted to riding a horse called Bel Ambre, a grey that had once been caught up in a doping scandal.

Other horses which I looked after in my time at Cazalet's were Chou ll, Black Magic, Woodman, Inch Arran, Game Spirit, Lord Kybo. Old Pablo, Charlot and Different Class.

This horse was owned by Gregory Peck, the actor, a very tall man who would often visit when he came over from America.

Other famous owners we had were Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother.

Churchill's grandson, Nicholas Soames, used to ride out for us on Saturdays.

Different Class was favourite for the National in 1967 but was brought down in the big pile up behind Foinavon, ridden by John Buckingham.

When John retired he became my valet in the weighing room, getting my saddle ready, etc.

Different Class finished third the following year to Red Alligator.

Mr Cazalet owned a pub in Shipbourne village called The Chaser (now called The Huntsman) where all the lads would meet up every evening and weekend to socialize and talk racing. 

Bronze medal for being Champion Trainer

Me & Bel Ambre

Newspaper cutting recording my first win

Me riding Soldo

Next to the pub is a church where Cazalet is buried and where his daughter was married.

Breaking in Kybo

Many important people were invited: I had to look after Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and show them to their seats in the church. 

All the lads had a part to play at the wedding.

Other famous people who came down to Fairlawne stables included the Queen Mother who visited at least once a month to see her horses.

One day The Queen came into my box while I was holding the Queen Mother's horse, Woodman. We were told not to speak unless spoken to. If we were spoken to we were to address her as Mam.

She said 'Good Morning.'

I replied 'Good Morning, Sir. Er- Mam.'

She just smiled and said 'Does he like Polo mints?'

Before I could answer, the head lad chimes in and says 'no, he likes carrots but he doesn't like mints.'

The Queen offered Woodman a mint anyway who ate it up and made the head lad look a fool.

Gregory Peck always opened a fete on Open Day at Fairlawne at the end of the season. Locals would come round to see the horses.

Another time I met the Royal Family was when we had to take some three year olds to Knightsbridge Barracks to see if she wanted to buy any.

I was holding a big horse called Airtex which stood 17 hands and had feet the size of dinner plates.

Prince Charles came up to the horse and patted him on the neck. Airtex duly stamped on his foot. The Prince gave an almighty yelp and walked away limping, with tears in his eyes.

A couple of years passed and I got promoted to breaking in horses.

Richard Dennard and me rode out three lots then teamed up to do the day's most boring jobs.

We took great pride in knowing that a horse which we had broken in became a champion.

The best horse I broke in was KYBO, a horse that went to Josh Gifford after Cazalet died.

He said it was the best horse he ever trained.

It was owned by Mrs Kerman. She always included the name Kybo when naming her horses i.e. Lord Kybo, Sir Kybo, Master Kybo.

Kybo comes from when she wrote to her son at prep school. She would always finish her letters with Kybo (keep your bowels open).

To Continue reading Derek's story, 

Cutting of Young Harold going down to the start

Me with Irish Rover

Me stood at a practice fence at Fairlawne

Me & Soldo

CLICK HERE

Me & Chou

Me & Different Class

The Queen Mother with Game Spirit

Me & friend playing golf with actors James Bolam &  Norman Rossington for charity

Riding Charlot in a race at Folkestone for the Queen Mother

Derek's brother-in-law, Graham Burrows, rode Jimmy Martin (number 31) to victory at Wetherby on October 14, 1981. Sadly, he later died in a car accident.