Living Horses

By Omulo Okoth

If she is not writing about racing, she is training horses. And she does it with such passion that Paddy Migdoll’s life seems completely intertwined with horses.

Using a nom-de-plume Squirrel in her weekly column for the past 50 years, Paddy has seen the racing industry grow from scratch to a multi-million industry it is today.

She became a racing correspondent for The Standard in 1953 when she replaced Raleigh Gilbert, who returned to England to be a television commentator.

She also penned articles for The Sunday Post between 1957-1958.

Paddy Migdoll rides one of her horses and, inset, admires her trophies. [PHOTOS: COURTESY]

Her late husband, Mickey Migdoll, also used to write a weekly column on racing under the pen name, Windsor Lad. The last sentence in all his columns was "see you racing on Sunday!" No editor dared remove that sentence, because the pedantic Mickey would not take it kindly.

So attached were the Migdolls with racing that they were a permanent fixture at every racing meeting, whether at the Ngong’ Racecourse or Limuru.

Dedicated service

They were the only couple to have received a lifetime achievement award from the Jockey Club of Kenya after a dedicated service as owners, trainers, breeders, officials and racing correspondents.

"I must thank The Standard for giving me such an opportunity to contribute to racing for all the years. It is a worthy relationship as the paper’s contribution to racing cannot be gainsaid," she said.

Paddy was also a reputably brave horsewoman until a dramatic accident in 1953 resulted in five fractured vertebrae. She was urgently flown to Scotland for surgery. Upon recovery, hunting, racing, and show-jumping, were shelved, but she still enjoyed some tempestuous rides in the Karura forest on her lovely horse, River Lane.

"We often encountered cheetahs, leopards, baboons, cobras, and big antelopes. River Lane was a dab-hand at ducking his shoulder when he saw these animals. He tipped me off badly one morning. My foot was caught in the stirrup, and he dragged me home at a very dangerous pace. A solid hair-band saved severe head injury. Several broken toes accrued. There are rarely escapes from these occupational hazards in the equine world."

Paddy stabled her horses at home in Gigiri, from where she trained, using vast expanses of coffee nearby for essential muscle building work. She transported the horses to Ngong racecourse for gallops and pipe-openers twice weekly, accompanied by her whippet dogs.

That operation sadly had to end. Escalating traffic has rendering it an impossible task to continue. Born in the Scottish Highlands of farming stock, Paddy has left that era to memory. She is now fully accustomed to everything Kenyan. The atmosphere, customs, climate, animals, friendly people, mountains, and, unique countryside, are all so appealing.

Constantly spotted at Ngong, clad in typical chique British attire, Paddy has won many prizes as Best Dressed Lady, apart from her many racing accolades. She is not frail, but definitely slim. Her winners have brought enormous pleasure. She can recall each horse fondly, having raced at Nakuru, Thompon’s Falls, Limuru, the Old racecourse in town, and, Molo.

Leafy suburb

Her Flomick House home in Gigiri, a leafy suburb to the north of Nairobi, leaves no doubt in the mind of a visitor of the residents’ pre-occupation. A drawing of a horse is what greets one at the gate. Inside the compound is a stable with horses roaming within the expansive area.

The Migdolls built this house, a typical Victorian architecture, after buying the land and a small structure thereon from a wealthy British, Gilbert Colbille, in 1954 for £2,500 (about Sh320,000).

Paddy joined the World War Two at 18 years and served in India and Ceylon as personal secretary to Chiefs of Staff Air Marshall Sir Rodericks Carr and and Air Marshall Robert Linton.

 

 

Read all about: Paddy Migdoll Jockey Club of Kenya Ngong’ Racecourse The Standard

 

 

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