Art Treasures of Kinloch Castle

STEEPLECHASE HORSES OWNED BY

SIR GEORGE BULLOUGH, BT.

Written from first-hand, on-site research and illustrated from his personal photographic archive by George W. Randall, co-founder in July 1996 and former Vice Chairman Kinloch Castle Friends’ Association.

INTRODUCTION:

PART ONE OF TWO

29 STEEPLECHASERS OWNED BY SIR GEORGE AND LADY BULLOUGH

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GRAND NATIONAL 1917 The First World War years of 1916 - 1918 resulted in the Grand National having to be relocated from Aintre...

Ballymacad was born in 1907.

BALLYMACAD 1917 “WAR NATIONAL” STEEPLECHASE WINNER Celebrating 21 March 2017, exactly one hundred years since Sir George Bul...

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASES 1912 - 1915

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1915 GRAND NATIONAL CHASE HANDICAP

The 1916, 1917 and 1918 "Grand Nationals" were held at Gatwick Racecourse,

Surrey, the land today forming part of Gatwick International Airport.

1917 "WAR NATIONAL" STEEPLE CHASE (HANDICAP)

Winner by 8 lengths Ballymacad

Ten year old Ballymacad's owner, Sir George Bullough,

received £500 and a Cup value £100.

Sir George donated the prize money to St. Dunstan's Hospital

for blinded soldiers and seamen.

Two of the running plates worn by Ballymacad

displayed in the Library at Kinloch Castle.

1918 "WAR NATIONAL" STEEPLE CHASE (HANDICAP)

1920 - 1922

By 1920 the stark financial and social costs of World War I were becoming increasingly apparent.

Sir George’s twenty-four yearlong passion for steam yachts ended with the sale of Rhouma II in 1919. The owners of requisitioned vessels, modified to meet the needs of war, found the costs of bringing them back to their former glory prohibitively costly.

Sir George's Highland home, Kinloch Castle, particularly its policies, had suffered as a result of all able bodied men being called up, only two of the fourteen gardeners returning. The availability, let alone the cost of staffing back to the halcyon days of “Good King Edward” were assigned to history.

The east façade of Kinloch Castle, Isle of Rum, Scotland.

Still stands, fully furnished, but under threat of demolition!

Sir George’s interest in jumping horses was also waning.

Since 1914, when he owned thirteen, by 1920 he had only five in training. The impact of the Great War, 1914-1918, on all racing was profound. But, despite everything, his winning in 1917 of the greatest steeplechase in Europe if not the world meant Sir George had reached the summit of steeplechases “Mount Everest.”

By 1922, when he moved almost overnight from steeplechasers into flat racers, he owned only four jumpers, Game Boy born 1913, Gamble II born 1916, Guardee born 1914, and Procurator born 1916 in 1922. His last recorded steeple chase entry was on Wednesday 29 March 1922 in the Ledbury Hunt Lady Bullough Challenge Cup when eight year old Guardee, ridden by Mr. J. Bletsoe came home third.

Thereafter all his jumping horses were sold.