The site on which Castle Stables now is located has been known by a variety of names at one time or another. Just after the War Leyburn House (post code DL84QQ) was located in the vicinity of the present day Castle Stables when the likes of Dick Colven, Bill Haigh and Bill Murray lived there and stabled their horses at Castle Stables.
Richard Colven, universally known as Dick, was born on 8th September 1901 in Bethnall Green, London but moved to Australia with his family when they emigrated there. He served his apprenticeship in Australia and was still there in 1923 when he got married, and the couple later adopted a boy in 1931 who they named Albert Gordon Colven. Dick rode in Australia for a short time, and also in both Egypt and Singapore, but by 1930 the couple were back in England. He continued his riding career in England from 1930 through to 1946, the highlight of which was partnering Lady Electra to win the 1943 War time Lincoln Handicap, which was staged at Pontefract, by a comfortable 2 lengths from Coroado Grey and Tony when owned by W Richardson and trained by C Ray. He applied for a trainer's licence in 1948, moving to live at West Witton, on the outskirts of Middleham, and using Glasgow House as his stables and Ernest Girling as his head lad. Starting in 1948 with a string of just 6, but a year later he had increased it to 15. His first winner, Pilpay 10/1, was in the Londesborough Selling Handicap at Doncaster on 7th May 1948 when partnered by his adopted son Gordon. In 1949 he trained his best horse Barnes Park for H Lane, contesting all 3 Classics. In the 2000 Guineas he was third beaten a short head and 4 lengths by Nimbus (SR 2012), and went to the Derby at Epsom with some confidence, but was 5th behind the brilliant Nimbus. In the St Leger he was offered at 40/1 and finished unplaced behind Ridge Wood (SR 1923). Richard bought over a friend of his from Australia, jockey Athol Mulley, and Athol partnered Barnes Park to a hollow 6 length victory in the Three Tuns 3-y-o Plate at Thirsk, but did not partner the horse in the St Leger. Dick spent two further years at Glasgow House, training 19 in 1950 and 12 in 1951.
He then moved to Leyburn House, transferring his string just along the road to what is now the site of Castle stables. He remained there for 4 years, training 7 in 1952, 5 in 1953, a dozen in 1954 and 10 in 1955, and during that time he engaged many leading riders, including Doug Smith, Willie Carr, Jimmy Etherington and Peter Robinson. Smith won the prestigious 1955 Flying Dutchman Handicap at York on Cecil's Choice; Peter Robinson won the Lancashire Plate for him on Sandy Bank, while Jimmy Etherington won the 1954 Bishopsgate Handicap at Stockton on Cockrullah. After spending 8 years training at Middleham, in two different stables, he departed for New Zealand, and from there back to Victoria, Australia where he continued to train until his death on 14th December 1963 aged just 62.
1948 Londesborough Selling Handicap at Doncaster PILPAY 10/1 owned by Mr Poole, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Gordon Colven
1949 2000 Guineas at Newmarket BARNES PARK 100/1 owned by H Lane, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Ken Gethin was 3rd behind Nimbus (SR 2012)
1949 Epsom Derby BARNES PARK 22/1 owned by H Lane, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by W Cook was 5th behind Nimbus (SR 2012)
1949 Three Tuns 3-y-o Plate at Thirsk BARNES PARK 1/9 fav owned by H Lane, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Athol Mulley
1949 St Leger at Doncaster BARNES PARK 40/1 owned by H Lane, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by W Cook was unplaced behind Ridge Wood (SR 1923)
1950 Smethwick Handicap Chase at Birmingham LOCKERBIE 13/2 trained by Dick Colven and ridden by M Hogan
1950 Hornby Castle handicap at Catterick BRISTERS BUTTONS 9/2 owned by B Braithwaite, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Gordon Colven
1950 Crosshands Hurdle at Ayr BRISTERS BUTTONS 11/2 owned by B B Johnson, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by J Stevens
1951 Ingham Hurdle at Southwell FAIR RUN 9/4 fav trained by Dick Colven and ridden by J Stevens
1951 Southwell Hurdle TRAVELLER 11/10 fav trained by Dick Colven and ridden by R Curran
1953 Doncaster Handicap GAZELLE 11/10 trained by Dick Colven and ridden by W H Carr
1953 Arnold Plate at Nottingham TWO FIFTY 10/11 fav trained by Dick Colven and ridden by W H Carr
1954 Leicester Handicap TWO FIFTY 100/6 trained by Dick Colven and ridden by A V McCullagh
1954 Bishopsgate Handicap at Stockton COCKRULLAH 7/4 owned by A C Cockburn, trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Jimmy Etherington
1955 Lancashire Plate at Aintree SANDY BANK 100/8 trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Peter Robinson
1955 Flying Dutchman Handicap at York CECIL'S CHOICE 7/1 trained by Dick Colven and ridden by Doug Smith
William Wilson Haigh, born on 20th July 1931, was an apprentice with Charles Elsey at Highfield Stables, in Malton between 1947 and 1951, although he was then called up for his compulsory National Service where he served in the Durham Light Infantry in Korea from 1952 to 1954. On his return to England he continued to ride professionally as a jump jockey in the 1954 to 1955 jump season, riding his first winner, Golden Salamander 15/8 fav, at Catterick on 6th November 1954 in the Streetlam Novices Hurdle. In addition to riding, Bill successfully applied for a trainer's licence in readiness for the 1956-57 season, taking up residence at Clifton Hall, Penrith, coincidentally sending out Golden Salamander as his first training success at Haydock on 28th November 1956 in the Lowton Selling Hurdle. He continued to train in Penrith until 1958 and even notched up a double at Wetherby on 10th June 1957, winning with Shilling Shocker and Merry Windsor, the latter partnered by Gordon W Richards. At the end of the Flat season Bill transferred his string to Leyburn House, where he resided, while his horses were stabled at neighbouring Castle Stables. In his first season at Leyburn House his string numbered 13, and it increased to 17 in his second season before drastically reducing to 5 in 1960 and 6 in 1961. He recorded his highest profile win in the 1958 Metropolitan Hurdle at Sandown with J Wilkinson's Norcrest 25/1, trained and ridden by Bill. In 1961 he moved to East Appleton for 2 years and then he handed back his trainers licence and became travelling head lad to Peter Chisman at Temple Grafton Court Stables, Alcester. Peter later trained in Middleham.
Famously, he then worked as head lad for 3 stables, each based in one of the 3 main training centres in the country. He worked for Sam Hall in Middleham, followed by Freddie Maxwell in Lambourn, and then Bill O'Gorman in Newmarket. He did return to the training ranks in 1970, basing himself at White House Stables, Clifton near Penrith, and was more successful second time around.
1954 Streetlam Novices Hurdle at Catterick GOLDEN SALAMANDER 15/8 fav owned by T Graham, trained by Tommy Robson and ridden by Bill Haigh
1956 Lowton Selling Handicap Hurdle at Haydock GOLDEN SALAMANDER 3/1 fav owned by T Graham, trained and ridden by Bill Haigh
1957 Godfrey Long Handicap Chase at Wetherby MERRY WINDSOR 5/4 fav trained by Bill Haigh and ridden by Gordon W Richards
1957 Selling Hurdle at Wetherby SHILLING SHOCKER 5/1 trained and ridden by Bill Haigh
1957 Market Rasen Hurdle GILTHWAITE 11/2 trained and ridden by Bill Haigh
1958 Birchfield Novices Hurdle at Haydock GILTHWAITE 100/9 trained and ridden by Bill Haigh
1958 Metropolitan Hurdle at Sandown NORCREST 25/1 owned by J Wilkinson, trained and ridden by Bill Haigh
1968-1976 William Bill F Murray
William Murray, better known as Bill, was born in Tipperary in 1923 and was head lad with Sam Hall for some years before deciding to launch out on his own in 1968. He lived in Leyburn House and used the neighbouring Castle Stables to house his small string. He began in 1968 with 9 horses and struggled to finds winners in his first season, although he had numerous seconds. However, in his second season, and despite reducing his string to 8, he managed to win 10 races before the half-way mark of the season. But it is was in 1970 that he really made his mark, doubling his string to 16 and landing the Chester Cup with Altogether at 33/1 with his very first runner at Chester. The horse was owned by 3 publicans, Robert Blackburn, John Kenna and Alf Anderson, and a scrap metal dealer, Bill Bolton, whose colours he ran in. It was the first Middleham winner of the Chester Cup for 38 years, the previous one being Bonny Brighteyes in 1932. Also, in 1970 he legged up a smart young apprentice named Pat Eddery on Benoma in the Old Boston Apprentice Handicap Stakes at Haydock, and the combination duly obliged at 5/4 fav. Although he was based at Leyburn House, Bill made frequent visits back to his former home in Kirklinton. He married Sybil, and his wife owned a number of horses trained by Bill, the best of which was Tracey Anne, named after the daughter of a good friend. In 1972 Tracey Anne won the historic Hambleton Cup at Thirsk when ridden by Clive Eccleston. Bill's numbers continued to fluctuate, 14 in 1972, 16 in 1973, but down to 8 in his final season, 1976. He then returned to Kirklinton and lived for another 20 years.
1968 Ochiltree Handicap Hurdle at Ayr MONARCHS MATCH 100/9, owned and trained by Bill Murray and ridden by Terry Pinner
1970 Chester Cup ALTOGETHER 33/1 owned by Robert Blackburn, John Kenna, Alf Anderson and Bill Bolton, trained by Bill Murray and ridden by Walter Bentley
1970 Old Boston Apprentice Handicap Stakes at Haydock BENOMA 5/4 fav trained by Bill Murray and ridden by Pat Eddery
1972 Hambleton Cup at Thirsk TRACEY ANNE 5/2 owned by Mrs Sybil Murray, trained by Bill Murray and ridden by Clive Eccleston
Between 1994 and 1995 Chris Fairhurst lived at Leyburn House, which he renamed Brigant House, in the West End area of the town, a highly appropriate name given that his first winner was Brigant, and trained the horses just down the road at Glasgow House. He then moved into Glasgow House where he continued to train for thr remainder of his career.
ALTOGETHER (1970 Chester Cup)
TRACEY ANNE (1972 Hambleton Cup)
NORCREST (1958 Metropolitan Hurdle)
CECIL'S CHOICE (1955 Flying Dutchman Handicap)
COCKRULLAH (1954 Bishopgate Handicap)
