Dick Hern

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Dick Hern
Occupation
St. Leger Stakes (6)
Honours
Champion Trainer (1962, 1972, 1980, 1983)
Significant horses
Hethersett, Provoke, Highest Hopes, Brigadier Gerard, Sallust, Highclere, Bustino, Dunfermline, Troy, Ela-Mana-Mou, Henbit, Sun Princess, Petoski, Minster Son, Unfuwain, Nashwan, Alhaarth, Dayjur, Harayir.

William Richard Hern

CBE (20 January 1921 – 22 May 2002) was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer
on four occasions.

Following his early career in the Army (Major), he became a riding instructor, including a spell as instructor to the Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1952. His first training licence was as private trainer to Major Lionel Holliday in 1958, at La Grange Stables in Newmarket, before moving to West Ilsley at the end of the 1962 season to take over from R. J. "Jack" Colling.

Hern became a

2,000 Guineas and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Hern trained Brigadier Gerard who was only beaten once in eighteen races. Other major winners include Sun Princess, Dayjur, Hethersett, Bireme, Bustino, Longboat, Little Wolf, Petoski, Highclere, Provoke, Prince of Dance, Minster Son, Unfuwain, Dunfermline
and Cut Above.

In December 1984 Hern was seriously injured in a hunting accident, after which time he used a wheelchair.

In 1988 he was controversially sacked from his position as trainer for Queen Elizabeth II at West Ilsley by her racing manager 7th Earl of Carnarvon – Hern was recovering from heart surgery at the time. Later a compromise was reached whereby Hern shared the stable with the new incumbent – William Hastings-Bass (later Earl of Huntingdon) for a year before moving to Hamdan Al Maktoum's Kingwood House Stables in Lambourn.

Dick Hern died in 2002 in Oxford, England at age 81.

Major wins

United Kingdom Great Britain


France France


Republic of Ireland Ireland

External links