Gerald Connolly-Carew

The Hon. Gerald Edward Ian Connolly-Carew was born on December 28, 1941, the son of William Francis Connolly-Carew, 6th Baron Carew and Lady Sylvia Gwendoline Eva Maitland. He was educated at Harrow School and later joined the 15th/19th Hussars, in which he attained the rank of Captain. 

He rode in four Grand Military Gold Cups between 1964 and 1968. In the first of those he came home last of eight finishers on Bob-A-Job. He also rode that horse in the 1965 Kim Muir Memorial Challenge Cup at Cheltenham’s National Hunt Meeting but fell at the ninth fence. 

He fared much better in the 1965 Grand Military Gold Cup in which he finished second aboard the 14-year-old former Irish Grand National winner Zonda. He rode Zonda again in the following year’s Grand Military Gold Cup, finishing fourth. 

His final attempt on the race was in 1968 on the former high-class near-white Irish chaser Loving Record, who was by then 14 years old and whose best days were behind him. They finished an honourable sixth of nine finishers. 

Twenty-four hours after that final attempt, Captain the Hon. Gerald Connolly-Carew achieved his first – and only – victory under British National Hunt rules when winning the 1968 Grand Military Hunters’ Chase on Moin Na Realtan, whom he’d hunted with the East Kent Foxhounds. 

He rode Moin Na Realtan in three more hunter chases that season but failed to finish in any of them, falling at Folkestone and Newton Abbot and pulling up at Stratford. He rode him just once the following season, finishing third in the Dunboyne Chase at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting.  His racing colours were orange, brown sleeves, green cap with a brown hoop.

In 1971 he legally changed his name to Gerald Edward Ian Maitland-Carew by Deed Poll.

He married Rosalind Averil Speke in 1972. They had three children: Emma Rosalind (born 1974), Edward Ian Connolly (born 1976) and Peter Gerald (born 1979).

He was admitted to the Royal Company of Archers in 1982. 

Living at Thirlestane Castle, Lauder, Berwickshire, he held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale in 1989, followed by that of Lord-Lieutenant of Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale in 2016. 

He was also appointed Commander, Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) in 2016.