Michael Osborne, prominent international racing figure,
dies
Leading racing and bloodstock figure Michael Osborne died
Wednesday night after a short illness at the age of 71. Some of
the world’s most influential names paid tribute Thursday to the
iconic character, who helped transform the face of international
racing with his work in Dubai and who played a major role in some
of the most powerful breeding operations in Europe and the United
States.
After spells at the helm of the Irish National Stud and
North Ridge Farm in Kentucky, Osborne was hand-picked by Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum to discover the Irish base of the Darley
operation, and he arranged the purchase of Kildangan Stud in
County Kildare.
In recent years, the Naas, Ireland-born former veterinarian was at
the forefront of the inception of racing in Dubai and was made
chief executive of the Emirates Racing Association, overseeing
the transformation of Nad Al Sheba Racecourse and the launch of
the world’s richest race.
Sheikh Mohammed was one of those
offering his thoughts yesterday.
“Michael was a wonderful man,”
he said. “My thoughts and sympathy are with his family. We had
some marvelous times together and I will always remember the
great work that he did. He was a hugely influential figure in
world racing. It was Michael who established the Dubai World Cup
(UAE-G1) as a great international race.”
Osborne also engineered the World
Series, and had this year taken on the chairmanship of the World
Racing Championships in order to revamp the concept.
“Michael always had enormous enthusiasm — for horses, for Ireland and for
Dubai,” Sheikh Mohammed added. “Nearly 20 years ago, he was the
one who bought Kildangan Stud for me. He really loved the farm, and it is fitting that he is going to be laid to rest in the
graveyard at Kildangan.”
Osborne was also a senior steward of the Irish Turf Club,
director of the Irish Horseracing Authority and Horseracing
Ireland and chairman of Punchestown and Curragh racecourses.
Among the many paying homage to him yesterday was Horseracing
Ireland’s Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh.
“Michael Osborne was
Ireland’s foremost international racing figure of recent times,”
he commented. “Over four decades he occupied every significant
role in the Irish racing and breeding industries and set new
standards of excellence in every position he filled. His
outstanding quality was his ability to relate to and work with
people of all ages and backgrounds. His unique talents and
enthusiasm saw him succeed wherever he operated and throughout
the racing and breeding world his legacy will endure for a very
long time.”
Osborne was instrumental in the twinning of his home county Kildare with Lexington, Kentucky. Spendthrift Farm’s
former General Manager and friend John Williams reflected on his
influence in the United States.
“Michael was a lovely man — he meant so
much to me and to so many people in the U.S. and elsewhere,” he
said. “He touched so many, many people. The things he did just
spread exponentially. He did amazing things for people.”
Following Thursday’s funeral service, a Requiem Mass will take
place at St Brigid’s Church in Kildare on Friday.