ANOTHER John Kidd, he in Gilford, kept people amused for some time this week with his posting on Facebook of point-to-point card covers and show catalogues from the past.

The card covers started with the County Down Stag House Hunt Club meeting at Derrydrummuck, Loughbrickland, near Banbridge on Saturday, April 8th 1967, when races One, Two, Three and Five finished the fourth time past the winning post but the fourth race finished a circuit earlier.

Next up was the East Antrim Hounds fixture at Lisnalinchy on Saturday, April 16th 1966 followed by the Killultagh, Old Rock And Chichester Harriers’ Hunt Club meeting at Pigeontown, Glenavy on Saturday, April 23rd 1966, the Tara Harriers meeting at Proudstown Park, Navan on Thursday, May 4th 1967 and, finally, the North Down Harriers Hunt Club meeting at Craigantlet, Dundonald on Saturday, April 2nd 1966. The price of race cards at the Northern venues was 2s 6d each and 1s down south.

John had good reason to keep these cards as he rode either his own ‘aged’ gelding Father Fox (Blandace – Lovely Vixen, by Cacador) in maidens during that time period or his ‘aged’ mare Arrow’s Flight (Stalino – Random Inn, by Jamaica Inn) in winners’ races.

Owners’ names listed included T.F. Roe, Perry Moorhead, W.E. Fletcher, J.F. Murdoch, W. Dennison, S.J. Martin, John McKeag, Leonard Phillips, Brian Bamber, Hugh Dunlop, J.O.T. Hughes, A. Watson, H.R.C. Catherwood, R.B. Bamber, Mrs H. Ferris, Miss M. Simpson and many more. Riders’ names written in included Dunwoody, Rooney, R. Martin, Stirling, T. Crawford, Fitzsimons and just John for Kidd himself.

Delighted

When the last-named and his wife Margaret moved home to their current base at Kidd’s Stables on Hunters Hill Road, Gilford, many of his old race cards and show programmes were mislaid but he still has about 20 racecards and may put more up on Facebook in the future. He was delighted with the reaction to his posting this week.

Father Fox was bred by another former amateur in Richard Tolerton whose daughter Margaret (Creighton) alerted me to Kidd’s posting. She featured among the names listed for the leading rein class at the Ulster Riding and Jumping Club annual confined club show at Newcastle Road, Ballynahinch, Co Down on Saturday, May 15th 1965. Another show included in this week’s offering was the Holywood Horse Show Society annual show on Saturday, May 22nd 1965 at Marino, Holywood.

Many owners in the show programmes will also be well-known among the racing fraternity such as Rosemary Rooney, Denis Macauley, Mrs R. McVeigh, Brian Lusk, H. Ferris, J.B. McNicholl, Robin McNeilly, Philip White, John Donaghy, George Stewart and Elizabeth Hamilton while among the better-known owners from the world of show jumping and showing were Jack Bamber, Margie Lowry, Richard Iggulden, Trevor Monson, Eric Smiley, Frank Kernan, H. Lusk and Marilyn Dawson.

Earlier this month, Kidd used Facebook to announce the death of his skewbald stallion Beragh Bolero who he described as a gentleman who sired very rideable, good-natured stock.

The 2001 son of Mohill Gypsy (a skewbald who was out of Joy’s Toy (by Wolverlife)) was out of the King’s Ride mare Merry Friends who bred the winner Another Deckie (by Naheez), her sole runner.