Equestrian
“The wider course has eased up the bottleneck on the home straight and, after subsequent improvements, makes it easier to present fresh ground, although that has been severely tested this winter!”
Michael Trickey, Head Groundsman Kevin Councill and their three man team.
T
Opened in 1927, Taunton is one of the most beautifully located racecourses in the country. It offers outstanding views to the wooded slopes of the Blackdown Hills, yet is only a few minutes drive from the M5 and the centre of Taunton. Racing takes place from November to May and, although most meetings are mid-week, the programme allows holidaymakers to enjoy the excitement of jump racing alongside committed fans of the sport.
The decision to invest in irrigation equipment to offer the best possible going for two high profile fixtures ironically comes after the wettest twelve months on record. “There were always concerns about the structure of the clay soil, but the top
aunton Racecourse won the national hunt category of the 2012 Racecourse Groundstaff of the Year Awards, recognising the efforts of Clerk of the Course
three inches dries out and ‘caps’ in the spring, so to secure fixtures at this time we decided to purchase a Briggs boom irrigation system,” explains Michael Trickey. “We have sufficient capacity from the boreholes to apply half an inch of water to the top two to three inches of soil to maintain good ground. Briggs has plenty of experience on racecourses and has developed a system for our own particular needs.” “The irrigator will take up to twelve hours to water the track, and will mainly be used in the spring, rather than trying to tackle the dried out ground in the summer which could affect the soil structure,” comments Kevin Councill. Taunton has a reputation among leading trainers for producing excellent winter going - it has won praise from champion trainers Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls.
But this has required an ongoing
programme of renovation, as Michael describes: “The track was traditionally very tight with concrete uprights and wooden rails. When the motorway was
built some thirty years ago, the management took the opportunity to take some of the soil that was being disposed of to widen the track.” “This gave more scope for hurdle movement and a better line into the bend, as well as enabling the bends to be split for the first time.” “The wider course has eased up the bottleneck on the home straight and, after subsequent improvements, makes it easier to present fresh ground, although that has been severely tested this winter!” comments Kevin. However, when Michael came to the track, initially as a steward in the 1980s, he discovered a downside of the developments: “Taunton was always considered slippery, with bends like a skid pan, and this was partly due to the use of a three tonne roller to repair the course after racing. Whilst there was a good covering of grass, as soon as a horse’s hoof penetrated this, it was straight down to the clay pan.” Working with contractor Phil Cole from Cirencester, an extensive
Clerk of the Course, Michael Trickey (left) with Head Groundsman, Kevin Councill APRIL/MAY 2013 PC 119
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