‘Horses and farming were his life’ farewell to equestrian stalwart aged 92

John Barnett passed away peacefully at home, aged 92, following a short illness.

John was born at Mount Pleasant Farm, Walton, in Warwickshire. His parents, William and Mary, had moved from Ladbroke, also in Warwickshire, in 1927 and the family still farm it. He had one brother, Robert.

Horses, farming and hunting were John’s life. At a young age, with his father and Robert, he started showing. The family was very successful breeding thoroughbreds and hunters for the racecourse and the show ring.

The Pleasant Fancy and Miss Rattle lines produced the family’s best show horses, winning at numerous county shows. In 1956, Pleasant Fancy won six Midlands shows in three months, including the championship at the Royal Show.

A racing career was started on ponies, then progressed to point-to-pointing and hunter chasing. Longmire, Jinky Bell and Hastener were some of his better-known horses and Hastener won the 1953 Coronation Cup at the Hertfordshire point-to-point.

The racing successes also came on the Flat; Tecllyn was a three-time winner and produced some fascinating offspring once retired. One of these was Blaslynn, who won the Abernethy Stakes and the William Hill Vase over five furlongs at Beverley and held that record for years.

Blaslynn’s half-brother Crystal Gazer, owned by Colin Gee, and who David Nicholson trained won over three miles. Other multiple winners on the National Hunt circuit were Spartella and Woodlands Genpower.

In the 1980s, John’s son Andrew had aspirations to race-ride and enjoyed success aboard Cuban Skies, Dixons Homefinder and Wind & Stars.

Once Andrew retired, John continued to train and over the years, Michael and Richard Mann, Charlie Wadland, Laurence Lay, Hannah Mahon and Claire Hart took the reins.

Alongside the racing and pointing, hunting was a winter sport John was very involved in. In the early 1980s, he became joint-master of the Warwickshire and for many seasons hunted three days per week. His involvement in farming meant he was well known in the area and this meant he formed good relationships within the community to gain access to country.

John hunted his racehorses, and friend David Tatlow sourced him some wonderful hunters, which allowed him to lead the field fearlessly across some of Warwickshire’s finest country.

During the summer, show judging was a large part of his life.

Whether it was in-hand, ridden or hunters, John became known for his fairness. Highlights include Horse of the Year Show, Royal International Horse Show and Royal Dublin. Showing and racing aligned more in recent years when Catch Tammy, John’s last point-to-pointer/hunter chaser, went showing in retirement and he travelled all over the country with daughter-in-law Ilona sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm.

Farming was something he loved; going to markets to buy and sell, and he enjoyed the camaraderie among fellow farmers and neighbours.

Farming and hard work go hand in hand and that was something John didn’t fear, like many, milking the cows and doing a day’s work before hunting or racing was the norm.

When Ilona set up the Stratford-On-Avon Racecourse Company, John took great interest, and several of the horses are trained locally by Charlie Longsdon at Chipping Norton. John was a big fan of jockey Paul O’Brien and followed his career and daily rides closely.

Jamacho, the first horse bought by the club, won 12 races and has now retired to the farm and become an Retraining of Racehorses ambassador. It is most fitting that he watched Book Of Tales, the club’s fourth horse, finish second at Doncaster in his colours the day he died.

John met Audrey while at school and they married in 1958. They settled at Fossebury Farm and have three children – Caroline, Anneli and Andrew. He lived at the farm all of his life latterly with Andrew and his family; Ilona and Archie. He lost his beloved Audrey last year.

He is survived by his children, grandchildren Archie, Rosie, Coral, Isobel, Tom, Bryony and Charlie, and great-grandchildren Jaxon, Jacob, Grace, Finn, Beatrice, Darcy, Arlo and Albie.

John’s funeral will take place on Thursday, January 23 at Pillerton Hersey church, Warwickshire, at 11am.

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