Election of New Jockey Club Members

Published: 16 December 2002

ORDINARY MEMBERS

The following were elected as Ordinary Members of The Jockey Club at a meeting of the Jockey Club on 16th December 2002:

The Duchess of Bedford

The Duchess of Bedford (formerly Lady Tavistock), 62, is the co-owner and manager of the Bloomsbury Stud, which she created in 1980 at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire. She has been breeding horses since 1965 and now has a team of 12 mares and a further four owned in partnership. The Bloomsbury Stud has grown to include a stud in New Zealand where a further 38 mares, plus boarders, are kept. Perhaps their best breeding successes are Royal Rebel, twice the winner of the Ascot Gold Cup, and Jupiter Island, the first British horse to win the Japan Cup, in 1986. The Stud’s other successes include Pushy, Myself, Precocious, Danceabout, Krayaan, Thrilling Day, Lethal’s Lady and Guernica.

The Duchess of Bedford has served three terms on the Council of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association, and was their representative for many years on the Horseracing Advisory Committee, a fore-runner to the Industry Committee. She worked tirelessly to obtain equine ambulances on all racecourses, at a time when they were only on Scottish courses and Ascot, and now campaigns for racecourse stable hygiene.

In partnership the Duchess owns horses in training with Henry Cecil, James Given, Richard Hannon, Dave Morris and Geoff Wragg. There are also horses in training in France and New Zealand.

Graham Rowles Nicholson

Graham Rowles Nicholson, 47, a farmer and landowner, has been a racecourse steward for many years at Pontefract, Market Rasen and York. He is an approved panel Chairman and acts on both the flat and National Hunt.

He serves on the board of Wetherby racecourse, and is the owner of the Limestone Stud in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He also has horses in training with James Given, David Arbuthnot and Sir Mark Prescott.

Mark Woodhouse

Mark Woodhouse, 47, has been a Director of Wincanton Racecourse since 1995 and took over as Chairman in March 2000. Whilst serving with the Army in Germany from 1975-78, he held a Permit and trained three winners. He has ridden several winners in point-to-points.

Mark Woodhouse is the Vice Chairman of the independent Dorset brewers Hall & Woodhouse Ltd, sponsors of the Badger Beer Chase, the second oldest sponsorship in racing, spanning over 40 years. He also has an MBA from Henley Management College.

16th December 2002