SIR PHILIP PAYNE GALLWEY: said the passing of a bard

You will recall our piece on the death of Sir Phillip Payne-Gallwey last week. He was a man that will always be remembered for having picked the great Nureyev, the dam of the immortal Miesque, and of course, the Emperor of New Zealand stallions, Sir Tristam.

We remember this man not only for his sharp eye when it came to horses, but also for one of the sharpest senses of humour imaginable. There was chaos once at the December sales in Newmarket, England, and a great deal of unhappiness among several clients of the old British Bloodstock Agency, of which Phillip was both a supremo and a director. At as delicate stage as any, this ex-military man was heard to say “when all around you are losing their heads, duck and have another drink!”.

Many of his ilk go to the grave respected. Few however, go quite as loved.