NORTH NORFOLK HARRIERS MEETINGS
Highlights of the last three decades
by Mike Ashby

2010- 2011         30th January 2011

A memorable day in the career of Norfolk based, Ben Rivett, who completed his first ever double when ably deputising for flu-stricken David Kemp, winning both divisions of the Maiden. FIRMOUNT BEECH won the opening division and PINGPONG led all the way to land the second contest. The Kemp/Rivett partnership had to settle for third place in the Mens Open when Took My Eye was unable to match the classy CORK ALL STAR and Jack Quinlan. Ben’s performances contributed to his winning nomination of January ‘Jockey of the Month’.

The Fleur Hawes trained SCOTLAND YARD and Gina Andrews were comfortable winners of the Ladies Open and earlier, Fleur’s Pouilly, had finished second with Bridget Andrews in the saddle to MISTER KAY BEE, partnered by James Ridley, in the novice rider’s race.

2000-2009             8th February 2004 

With a total of ninety three runners declared, nine races were eventually staged on a very windy day at Higham. A tenth race was deemed not possible, by the stewards, with dusk rapidly descending leaving, unfortunately, four horses balloted out of proceedings.

Philip York won two of the four divisions of the Maiden on CHARANGO STAR and MORPH, both owned by his father. The other divisions also went to southern raiders namely ASTHEFELLOWSAID (Andrew Hickman) and GREBROOK LAD (Stuart Robinson).

East Anglian based horses, however, won both the Open race contests. The Mens’ went to HOMME DE FER piloted by Nigel Bloom whilst PLACID MAN and Alex Embiricos were impressive winners of the Ladies’ equivalent.


1990-1999            17th January 1998

Simon Andrews took the riding honours when landing both the Intermediate on CLAYDON’S MONTY and the Confined on CARDINAL BLACK. The latter was trained by Perry Harding-Jones and had been responsible for nursing the 12 year old back to fitness. Perry had previously achieved four wins on the gelding, before he retired from the saddle in 1996.

A crashing fall, at the open ditch, from St.Gregory in the Ladies Open, left Lucy Gibbon with a broken left leg. St Gregory had been the most successful horse in East Anglia for his owners, the Howland-Jacksons, for the past two years and with Lucy aboard, had won six races during the 1997 season. Kent-based PARDON ME MUM and Emma Coveney were the eventual winners of the race, just edging out Welsh raider Blue Raven, by a neck.

 
1980-1989              3rd  March 1984

William Wales was in fine form riding a double on OWEN SHERRY (Members) and COOL SECRET (Mens Open), both owned by the meeting’s secretary Captain William Bulwer-Long.

Nibby Bloom was also flying, literally ! Having finished second on Midnight Court, the 1978 Gold Cup winner, at the South Durham meeting staged at Wetherby racecourse, he hitched a ride in a friend’s plane, in time to reach Higham and partner the Maiden winner MISTY TWIST, for Hugh Hodge. SEA TANGLE and Roy Barber won the Adjacent race, despite displaying his normal habit of jumping out to the right at each obstacle.

Eighty six runners turned out on ground officially recorded as “good to firm”.