United as one in remembering Keagan Kirkby

Point-to-pointing and racing came together in the Somerset village of Ditcheat today for the funeral of Keagan Kirkby.

The 25-year-old amateur rider, who died last month while riding in a race at Charing in Kent, worked for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who was among a group that walked slowly behind the coffin from the yard to St Mary Magdalene Church. The procession was led by Kirkby’s favourite horse Highland Hunter, who behaved impeccably despite the many hundreds of people thronging the lane outside the church, many wearing blue and white, the colours of his local football club Bristol Rovers.

Highland Hunter, led by Kirkby’s friend Scott Sainsbury, leads the funeral procession

In a timely tribute, Highland Hunter, who was ridden daily by Kirkby when trained by Nicholls, won at Newbury on Saturday for his current trainer Fergal O’Brien. Paddy Brennan, who was in the saddle for that win, was among a number of professional jockeys who attended the funeral, alongside Nicholls’ team of Harry Cobden, Bryony Frost and Lorcan Williams.

Countless riders and trainers from the point-to-point world joined the congregation, including eight-time champion Will Biddick and Surrey-trainer Rob Varnham and his wife Lucie, who supplied Kirkby with four of his six winners. They were joined by Caroline Bailey and Peter Wright, chair and chief executive respectively of the Point-to-Point Authority.

The service opened with the theme from Champions and was followed by a recording of James Blunt’s Bonfire Heart, a favourite song of Kirkby and his girlfriend Emily Burge. There followed several readings, starting with the thoughts of his mother Zoe, whose words were read by The Reverend Canon Graham Hendy.

She revealed that as a child Kirkby had sat himself on the arm of a chair and ridden winners, using a skipping rope for reins, while watching televised racing. Kauto Star and Denman were inspirational to him, and he stated from an early age that he would work for Nicholls. Keen on all sports, he played cricket for his home town of Midsomer Norton and was passionate about Bristol Rovers.

Early riding lessons at a local trekking centre were followed by work experience with the team at Ditcheat, a spell at the British Racing School, employment with Jeremy Scott and then Biddick before returning to Nicholls’ yard in August 2019.

Keagan Kirkby riding the Rob Varnham-trained Imperial Esprit at a muddy Badbury Rings in November

In an interview with the Pointing Pointers podcast Kirkby had talked openly about being a carer for his mum and had said: “It’s made me who I am today.”

That element of kindness was conveyed in a heart-felt reading by Flo Willis, travelling head groom and representing the many staff at Manor Farm Stables. She said: “Our Keagan, our ‘Ki-Ki’, was the guy to speak to if you were having a bad day. He was so enthusiastic, and when he rode in a race and we’d say ‘How did you get on at the weekend?’ he’d give each ride a ten-minute debrief. We’ve all heard the statistics about Bristol Rovers going back to 1992.

“He’d do anything to help anyone at any time and he was a good listener. His relationship with Highland Hunter was very special, and despite violations on the gallops when the horse ran off with him, he was so proud of the horse.

“Keagan has taken a piece of our hearts with him and we’ll always miss and above all remember him.”

Crowds line the lane outside the church as the coffin arrives

Nicholls said it had been a difficult two or three weeks for everyone involved with the yard, and in a reading said: “Whenever a team loses a key player is it felt, and Keagan was the ultimate team player. His enthusiasm was infectious, he was always on time, he worked hard and he was a pleasure to have around.”

In April last year Rob Varnham rang Nicholls asking if his daughter Olive could ride for him at Aldington in Kent. Nicholls said: “No, she’s riding at another meeting, but I’ve got a good lad in the yard who rides well and is available. I’ll get him to call you. I rang Keagan, told him to ring Rob, and a couple of hours later I spoke to him again and said ‘Have you rung him yet?” Keagan said to me, ‘Come off it Boss, you’re taking the piss!”

Having been convinced the offer was genuine Kirkby rang Varnham and the following day rode his first double, topping it up with a walkover to complete a treble. One leg was gained on the Hannah Grissell-trained Westtara, who won the maiden race, and who Kirkby was riding when his tragic accident occurred.

Nicholls added that Kirkby’s nomination for a Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff award was proof of how far he had come in his chosen career, and when referring to the bond between him and Highland Hunter he said: “He was run away with every day, but was always telling people how brilliantly he rode the horse.”

He added: “The number of people here today is a tribute to Keagan. It was a pleasure to know him . . . rest in peace Keagan.”

Kirkby’s coffin leaves St Mary Magdalene Church in Ditcheat