12 August 2011 Fox retires after forty fruitful years
by Carolyn Tanner
TURTHEN: Runner-up in the 2009 Cheltenham Foxhunters' and successor to Red Brook Lad
The Wessex area will be missing one of its best-known owner-trainers next season with the retirement of Charlie Fox, who has decided he has earned a rest from racing after over 40 years in the sport.
His familiar black and green colours were most notably carried by Red Brook Lad, whose tally of 20 wins included 12 Hunter Chases. His most recent successes were gained under Charlotte Tizzard, one of their many triumphs coming in the 2005 Gerrard Ladies' Championship Final at Hereford. Prior to that the chestnut enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Nick Mitchell, while others to taste victory on him were Rachael Green and Jamie Snowden.
"Red's" successor Turthen was also a credit to Charlie's training skills, his best performance being when runner-up to Cappa Bleu in the 2009 Cheltenham Foxhunters'.
Charlie held a full trainer's licence for a short time in the seventies, and he also rode as an amateur, managing to crack his skull no fewer than three times!
Like his owner, "Red" is in retirement and is turned out at the Dorset home of Charlie and his wife Cola, while Turthen has been sold as a schoolmaster.
