Doreen Calder

Though she could never be called the most stylish of riders, Doreen Calder forged a great partnership with the famous Scottish point-to-pointer and hunter chaser Flying Ace, riding him to victory on 58 occasions between 1983 and 1991. The horse won a total of 59 races. The only other person to win on him was Charlie Macmillan, substituting for Doreen who was out of action with a broken collarbone.

Doreen Calder was born on Christmas Day 1948, the daughter of Adam Calder, who ran the family farm at Marigold, near Duns, in Berwickshire. The Calder family had farmed in Berwickshire since the 1830s and had been active members of the Berwickshire Hunt for generations. In 1863, Robert Calder owned and rode every winner at a point-to-point meeting at Wark, near Coldstream. The following year he was banned from competing in the races by the organising committee, as they feared that should he repeat the performance it would spoil the meeting.

Adam Calder, having taken over the farm in 1938, followed his father, grandfather and older ancestors by combining farming with riding in local point-to-points. He rode 16 winners under National Hunt rules and 22 in point-to-points. His sister, Doreen Robson, also excelled in equestrian events and was successful riding show-ponies at Olympia.

Adam retired from race-riding in 1960 and switched his attention to training point-to-pointers and hunter chasers. Initially they were ridden by Charlie Macmillan but by the 1970s his daughter Doreen had proved herself a good all-round horsewoman.

Doreen had her first ride in a point-to-point at the former NH venue Bogside on the mare Flying Eye in 1972, but they parted company on the far side of the course. Flying Eye won 13 point-to-points and two hunter chases for the Calders. After she was retired, she was sent down to Roy Edwards’ Blakeley Stud, near Shrewsbury, for breeding. She was bred three years running to Saucy Kit, on whom Roy had won the 1967 Champion Hurdle. As the result of those matings, three foals were born, the second of which was named Flying Ace.

Doreen was on board Flying Ace when he made his debut in the Berwickshire Hunt Members race at Friars Haugh on February 26, 1983, winning by a length and a half. They followed up seven days later in a restricted at Alnwick, then won adjacents at Bogside and Oatridge. Unfortunately, Doreen broke a collarbone when falling on Flying Ace’s brother Flying Express at that same Oatridge fixture, so was sidelined for Flying Ace’s next race at Lockerbie, which he won in the hands of Charlie Macmillan. However, she was back on board for his next two wins in adjacents at Friars Haugh and Balcormo Mains.

The Calders than decided to let Flying Ace take his chase in the prestigious Vaux Breweries Northern Championship Hunter Chase at Sedgefield on May 27, 1983. Despite Doreen losing an iron at the last fence, Flying Ace stayed on to win and give his rider her first win under NH rules.

Flying Ace and Doreen won their first nine point-to-points in 1984, thus running up an unbeaten winning sequence of 17 races before suffering their first defeat together, being beaten a length and a half in the Ladies Championship open race Garthorpe in May. They then took part in two high-profile hunter chases, finishing fifth in Chepstow’s RMC Group Ladies’ Championship and fourth in the Horse and Hound Cup at Stratford.

Having won their first two point-to-points of 1985, Doreen and Flying Ace passed the post first in a Kelso hunter chase, only to be disqualified when failing to draw the correct weight – the weight cloth came off just before the line. They then won six ladies’ open races in little over a month, following those with victory in the RMC Group Ladies’ Championship Hunter Chase at Chepstow. They then recorded their greatest victory together, the 1985 Horse and Hound Cup Final Champion Hunter Chase at Stratford on June 1, 1985.

Having fallen first time out at Friars Haugh in 1986, Doreen rode Flying Ace to win a ladies’ open and a Sedgefield hunter chase. After being beaten half a length at Kelso next time out, they won five of their next six ladies’ opens, falling in the other. They then won hunter chases at Ayr and Hexham before finishing third in the 1986 Horse and Hound Cup.

Kept to hunter chases in 1987, Doreen and Flying Ace ran ten times, winning six (three at Kelso, one each at Musselburgh, Perth and Hexham), finishing second three times, including to Three Counties in the Horse and Hound Cup, and third once.

It was a similar story in 1988, running in 12 hunter chases, winning nine (three at Kelso, two at Hexham, one each at Musselburgh, Sedgefield, Ayr and Perth), finishing second once, third once, then a disappointing seventh in the Horse and Hound Cup.

Their 1989 campaign comprised seven starts but only two wins, both at Hexham, finishing in the frame on the other five occasions. They appeared just twice in 1990, winning a ladies’ open at Corbridge, then finishing fourth in the Fife Hunt Cup Hunters’ Chase at Musselburgh.

By 1991 Flying Ace was 15 years old and it appeared that age had finally caught up with him. It was decided to campaign him exclusively in ladies’ races at point-to-points. The year did not get off to a good start, falling at the ninth fence at Bogside. They finished second on their next outing at Friars Haugh, but returned to that venue three weeks later and won by 10 lengths. Following a second-place finish at Alnwick seven days later, they won four of their next five point-to-points and finished second in the other. The last of those wins, Flying Ace’s 59th, came at the Lauderdale Ladies’ Open at Mosshouses.

In search of win number 60, Flying Ace was beaten three lengths by Mossy Moore in a match for the Cumberland Ladies’ Open at Aspatria. It was then decided to give him one last start under rules, in the Balnakeilly Challenge Cup Hunters’ Chase at Perth on May 16, 1991. Sadly, he was never able to get into the race and he began to feel the pace early on. He was losing ground when hitting the top of the ninth fence and unseating Doreen. It was only the fourth time in 89 outings that he had failed to complete the course.

Following another season’s hunting, it was decided in March 1992 to let the then 16-year-old Flying Ace try for that elusive 60th win. He ran twice that month, at Friars Haugh and Tranwell. His jumping and enthusiasm were as good as ever but he lacked the speed of earlier days. Hence it was decided to retire him from racing was he was still sound, safe and well.

Flying Ace’s 59 wins comprised 36 point-to-points and 23 hunter chases, recorded at 18 different courses. As mentioned earlier, Doreen Calder was on board for all bar one of those wins, the sole exception being when he won a point-to-point at Lockerbie in his first season under Charlie Macmillan.