Ian Balding, the British trainer of the great Mill Reef among many top-class horses, has died at the age of 87.
A social media post from Park House Stables called him, “A wonderful family man, a hugely successful racehorse trainer and a brilliant sportsman.
He was champion trainer in 1971, the year when Paul Mellon’s homebred Mill Reef won the Derby, Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
A second-generation trainer and a successful rider over jumps as an amateur, in 2002 he passed the Park House Stables license to his son, Andrew, now a multiple Classic-winning trainer in his own right.
His daughter, Clare Balding, is a broadcaster and author.
In a tribute to her father on Instagram, she said, “My Dad was one of a kind. Fearless, funny and charming, he was an all-round sportsman, a great trainer and a beautiful horseman. He loved his dogs, his horses and his family – probably in that order. He shared with me his passion for sport and taught me to be brave enough to chase a dream, even if it seemed impossible. We’ll miss him so much.”