Prominent British jumps trainer Toby Balding — brother to trainer Ian Balding, uncle to trainer Andrew Balding and renowned
broadcaster Clare Balding — died Thursday at age 78.
Balding trained winners of all of Britain’s
major jumps prizes before his retirement in 2004, including two Grand Nationals and Champions Hurdles
and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Balding also kickstarted the riding
careers of leading riders A.P. McCoy and Adrian Maguire.
McCoy paid tribute to Balding.
“He did
everything the right way. He had great patience,” McCoy said. “First and foremost, he was a
great trainer. He was a hugely respected figure in the world of racing.
His record as a trainer was second to none.
“To nurture a young person there
was no better man. He was a very fair man and a very enjoyable man
to be around. He’d give you great belief and confidence. He’d
always be one to talk things through with you and put you right.”
McCoy (@AP_McCoy)
also tweeted out on Thursday:
“Tonight I cried when I heard the news my old boss & friend Toby Balding had died, we had great times together. He was my Ultimate Mentor RIP”
Maguire acknowledged Balding as being a “father figure.”
“It’s very sad news and it came as a
shock to me,” he stated. “He was a real gentleman and was a father figure to me and my
wife, Sabrina, when we first moved to the UK. We remained very
close friends. Everyone loved him and people didn’t just want a
horse with Toby Balding because he was a great trainer, they wanted a
horse with him just to be involved with him.”
Clare Balding (@clarebalding)
tweeted out:
“It’s been a long time since I cried myself to sleep but I
did last night in memory of a warm-hearted, funny, generous man…who saw the
best in every person and every horse. Uncle Toby was a brilliant
trainer but an even better human being. Everyone loved him.
“There have
been wonderful tributes to Uncle Toby. He would be so touched &
it means a lot to my whole family. Many thanks for the messages”