Happy memories of Robert Alner

The Church of St Andrew’s at Okeford Fitzpaine in Dorset was full on Monday afternoon as family and friends came together for a memorial service to Robert Alner who died recently.

So popular was the former amateur rider and Gold Cup-winning trainer that the service was also relayed to the nearby village hall where further members of the congregation had gathered.

The service was conducted by David Seymour, the vicar of Sturminster Newton, who knew Alner well, and readings were made by Andrew Baines, Robert’s son-in-law and husband of his daughter Jennifer, while former jockey Andrew Thornton read an amusing poem called ‘ The Trainer’ which conveyed the trials and tribulations of Alner’s profession. Dido Harding, who owned his Gold Cup winner, Cool Dawn, gave the address which contained many memories and anecdotes of Alner who she described as a second father.

Among these memories was one from neighbour Patsy Harris, who recalled her first memory of Alner at the age of three sitting in the back of the family car eating a whole loaf of bread and then being scolded by his mother.

Harding said not only was Alner a fine trainer of racehorses after his riding career came to an end but also a mentor and guide to many jockeys who went on to achieve great success. One of these, Daryl Jacob, had recounted to her two incidents which stick in his mind. Riding at Wincanton and coming into the home straight in front he looked over both shoulders approaching the third-last fence and then repeated the act at the next before decking his mount at the last.

He received a proper telling off for this and so on the next occasion he rode this time at Taunton on Even More he remembered the advice he received. He therefore kept pushing and riding out his mount to the line. On arriving back in the paddock he proceeded to get another b********g for winning by 40 lengths and ruining the horse’s handicap mark!

Alner suffered severe injuries in a car accident in 2005 and subsequently spent much time in Odstock Hospital near Salisbury. During one session, when a nurse was giving him some treatment after he had had a tracheostomy, she had removed his voice box but noticed that he was anxious and becoming restless. Thinking this was in connection with the treatment she was giving him she replaced his voice box only to hear Alner say he had an eight-year-old gelding who would make an ideal point-to-pointer for her.

Robert Alner won Britain’s national men’s point-to-point championship in 1992 at the age of 48. He retired from riding two years later and developed a very successful training career under Rules in partnership with his wife Sally.