Naming your horse

[walsworth]

I noticed "Fircombe Hall" at Newcastle a few days ago.

[edgt]

Years ago, I named a horse Manhattan Beach but that was after having half a dozen choices rejected. The sire was Tepukei and I did consider trying First Chukka.

If I get another chance, I've always said that I'll go with the title of one of the finest albums of the sixties, Forever Changes, and then use various tracks - Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain, You Set The Scene - if available.

Tepukei stood at Irish National Stud mid to late 1970s and was used by manager Michael Osborne to cover a selection of mares naturally in a field where he herded them .
Anyways at dawn and dusk the stallion used go into full pre mating vocalisation, neighing and calling his mares to ascertain which were in season.
Such was the show that Michael decided to record the sounds and use the recordings in the barren mares' barn as a teasing option; the mares being tethered by their necks in old fashioned horse stalls so their hind quarters were visible for tail lifting when in season.
As it was a success news spread and studs requested copies of the tape, which Michael obliged once blank cassettes with stamp addressed envelopes were sent.
UK requests came at a cost of £5 at the time to cover postage and packing.
US requests were charged $25 to cover airmail.
This cottage industry within a Semi-State Company came to a close when an inquiry for tapes came from " someplace in Amsterdam called The Blue Lagoon " according to Mr Osborne.
Bless him, he always told a great story !

[Grasshopper]

Eddie, I swear you could publish a book of brief racing anecdotes like this, and it would sell like hot-cakes.

[Tanlic]

Surely it's not that difficult to be original

In under 5 minutes I found these which are all available according to the BHA

Tripalong
Peacefull Planet
The Breeder
Forest Trees
The Accident
Police Car
The Judas

[moehat]

I think Ding Ding is the best named horse in training. By Winker Watson out of Three Bells.

[archie]

Surely it's not that difficult to be original

The internet and the BHA website have made things much easier. Trying to name Manhattan Beach in the late 80s involved several telephone conversations with the trainer's secretary.

On the upside, invoices were sent by mail and cheques regularly got delayed in the post.

[Diamond Geezer]

Years ago, I named a horse Manhattan Beach but that was after having half a dozen choices rejected. The sire was Tepukei and I did consider trying First Chukka.

If I get another chance, I've always said that I'll go with the title of one of the finest albums of the sixties, Forever Changes, and then use various tracks - Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain, You Set The Scene - if available.

I LOVE to play that album

[Diamond Geezer]

[G-G]

I noticed "Fircombe Hall" at Newcastle a few days ago.

Phil Kirby has a Forcombe Hall - was that the one?

[reet hard]

Also noticed Fukuto the other day,though that was named in France.

[Tanlic]

Can just imagine Lydia saying in an interview "I like the way I Fuku2 went today" "where would you guys like to go next?"

[Desert Orchid]

There’s a good horse running at the moment, Haut En Couleurs, whose name means high in colour, which can mean pretty, sparkling, etc and also truculent. An enculeur, on the other hand, is explained by my dictionary as “he who sodomises”. So, commentators, take care with the pronunciation.

True, but French commentators would never confuse the pronunciations.

English commentators' pronunciation would be irrelevant as 99% of punters wouldn't get the nuances.

The likes of Matt Chapman would bastardise the pronunciation of 'bum'. The guy claims he went to a public school yet he obviously didn't do French or, if he did, he was reading the Sporting Chronicle at the back of the class. His pronunciation of Monsieur Lecoq is excruciating, as is his pronunciation of Sceau Royal.

[G-G]

Also noticed Fukuto the other day,though that was named in France.

That was in a televised race a while ago, I can't remember who the commentator was, but he was really struggling with how to pronounce it to not make it sound rude. I thought just go with it, it got through.

[tiggers1972]

Foo-koo-too

Not that difficult really.

[viking]

That was in a televised race a while ago, I can't remember who the commentator was, but he was really struggling with how to pronounce it to not make it sound rude. I thought just go with it, it got through.

I remember the horse running at Cheltenham trials day one year. Sadly he was tailed off. I’d hoped it would be involved at the business end when the course commentary might have been interesting (think it was before the ITV races)

[archie]

Worth a browse rather than a long read:

Fifty Shades Of Hay by David Ashforth.

'The extraordinary world of racehorse names'.