08 November 2010 A Lifetime In The Saddle: Pat Tollit
by Carolyn Tanner
PAT TOLLIT: aboard Rosie's Cousin
There was quite rightly great acclaim last season for Polly Gundry's achievement in becoming the winning-most woman rider in the history of the sport, and there will be further deserved plaudits when, in three victories' time, she reaches the coveted 300. But there is one lady whose race record must surely rank as the most outstanding of all.
When Pat Rushton opened her account on Merry Knight at the Cheshire Forest in 1948 the season was considerably shorter, Sunday racing did not exist, and women competing against men was unheard of, meaning that the fair sex was limited to one outing per week, with ten or 12 rides the average for the whole season. Most Ladies' races were Adjacent Hunts (the equivalent of today's Confineds) and on the rare occasions when an Open race was scheduled the travelling to a distant track took most of the day.
Despite these constraints, when Pat Tollit, as she was to become, hung up her boots after scoring on Pensham at the Wheatland in 1973, she had been ladies' champion on six occasions and had booted home 171 winners from only 342 rides, a 50% strike rate.
She did, in fact, have just one ride against the men, when a Hunt race became the sole contest which permitted the sexes to vie against one another. Partnering Gansy, she defeated nine rivals to land the Worcestershire Members in 1972.
Pat's father Major Harold Rushton himself rode countless winners, and her mother Ruth competed in Ladies' races side-saddle, so it was little wonder that their daughter wanted to follow in their footsteps. "It was my one aim in life," she laughed. "I was desperate to get away from school so that I could ride work and be with the horses."
Her father, though, was not so keen. "He wanted to make sure I really wanted to do it, so he said he'd give me one ride when I was 16," she recalled. Despite the fact that the one ride, Merry Knight, duly obliged, there was no relenting. "It was all I got," she said.
Her second season was little better. She was allowed an unraced home-bred to bring on, but although he was a good hunter he proved to have little aptitude for racing. The following year, however, the Major had softened somewhat, and Pat, whose duels over the years with Ida Croxon were to become legendary, was given Lucky Dip. He was to win 20 races, in one of which his partner was riding with a broken collarbone. "I'd broken it a fortnight before," she explained, "and as the men who'd broken theirs all used to ride again after two weeks I thought I could do the same, but it wasn't an enjoyable day!"
That was the only broken bone which Pat incurred while race-riding, but she was knocked out on a few occasions, admitting that on one of them she felt punch drunk for about six weeks afterwards.
Some prolific winners feature among her tally, but the family seldom purchased ready-made racing machines - most were brought on at home. She finds it impossible to name her best horse - "I was lucky to have several good ones" - but among them was Episil, 24 times successful. "He taught me a lot. He used to land very steeply, so he wasn't an easy ride. He wasn't a world-beater but he was very genuine." Another who was not straightforward was Mr Teddy who, despite his small stature, proved a successful Hunter Chaser.
Women, of course, were not permitted to ride in Hunter Chases, and it was this ruling which caused Pat's most bitter disappointment, particularly when the outstanding Rosie's Cousin was sent to run under Rules. She was allowed back on him when, at the age of 12, he returned to Pointing. His final run was at Springhill, where he dropped dead after the victory which had maintained his and Pat's unbeaten partnership between the flags.
The only time she ever managed to ride over regulation fences was on an unscheduled visit to Wolverhampton, where horses were allowed to school over the jumps after racing, but although Pat did all the work at home the Rushtons were informed by the groundsman that women were not permitted to ride on the track at all. However, the official suggested they could probably escape attention if they turned up very early the following day. This they duly did, and Pat was able to enjoy her spin over the obstacles.
Unsurprisingly, she also picked up quite a few outside rides, one of whom was Speylove, owned by Vivian Bishop, for whom she won several races. Another of her winning partners was Mascot III, on whom she had to adopt unfamiliar tactics. "I preferred coming from behind," she explained, "but the first time I rode him, in the 4m Ladies' Open at the Warwickshire, I was told he was a front-runner so I was to make it. Luckily it worked out and we were never headed."
In 1973 Pat decided to call it a day when her two current stars, Pensham, who won 45 races, and Articulation, 17 times successful, reached the end of the line. "I knew it would be hard to start again with new horses, and I didn't feel I was doing quite as good a job as I would have liked," was her reasoning. "And I was lucky to walk out all right at the end of it."
The Tollit legacy lives on through her family, and like most mothers, she is a nervous spectator - "It's far worse than doing it oneself." Her daughters have all ridden, and her granddaughters are keeping up the tradition. Christine (Banks) enjoyed hunting more than racing, but her daughter Phine has so far clocked up eight victories, while younger sister Abigail made her debut last season. Katherine (Smith-Maxwell) wore the famous royal blue and cerise colours to victory, while her daughter Alex Dunn has proved her ability under Rules as well as in Points. Still waving the flag in no uncertain terms is Angela (Rucker), whose tally has reached 72.
Pat - "I've always been Trish at home, but because there were three of us, Pat Kerby, Pat Wint and me, we were known as the ‘three Pats'" - gave up riding after she had a hip operation three years ago but goes Pointing most weeks during the season, and has two horses with Fergal O'Brien, Virginia Preuil and Beacon Bright, a home-bred from the Pensham family who had just one run in 2010. "He wasn't very inspiring so whether he'll be any good is difficult to say."
The family has always farmed in the same area of Worcestershire, and Pat moved from Shell into a smaller house 15 years ago. "It was meant to be for my retirement, but I don't think I'm any nearer retiring now than I was then," she smiled.
Fergal O'Brien would second this. "When the horses come to me they're immaculate," he pointed out. "She clipped Virginia Preuil herself the day before she sent him back recently. I'm lucky to have an owner with her experience," he continued. "She's so knowledgeable and will walk the track, which saves me a lot of time. And she cares so much about her horses - she doesn't like to see them knocked about and it doesn't matter if they win or lose as long as they come back safely."
Pat admits she would love to be race-riding in the current era, although she sympathises with the girls who are just starting out and who often have to carry large amounts of lead in order to compete in mixed races. A believer in looking forward, not back, she does, though, very much regret the general lowering of the weights, which she considers goes against the spirit of the sport. "It means the heavier riders, like so many of the farmers' sons, having fewer opportunities because they would have to carry overweight."
There is no doubt that this shy and modest lady, who has never sought publicity and is genuinely surprised when she is recognised at the races, would be at least the equal of her modern-day counterparts, and her success rate is one which is unlikely ever to be beaten.
