Gerald Barnard Balding, Jr. OBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (born 23 September 1936), known as Toby Balding, is a retired British racehorse

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

.

Biography

He was born in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 where his father, Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr.

Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr.

-Biography:He was born around 1910 and had two brothers that also played polo, Ivor Godfrey Balding and Barney Balding. His sons, Gerald Barnard "Toby" Balding, Jr. and Ian Balding, were both thoroughbred racehorse trainers in Britain....

, ran a polo

Polo

Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...

 team and is part of a famous racing family. His brother, Ian Balding

Ian Balding

Ian Balding emigrated with his family to England in 1945. He is the son of the polo player and racehorse trainer Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr. and the younger brother of trainer Toby Balding. Kingsclere became his home at the age of 26 and it is here that earned his reputation as an internationally...

, also a retired trainer, trained Mill Reef

Mill Reef

Mill Reef was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was bred in the United States but was trained in the United Kingdom throughout his racing career which lasted from 1970 to 1972. Mill Reef won twelve of his fourteen races and finished second in the other two...

 to win the Epsom Derby. Toby went to Marlborough College.

He achieved success with both flat

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 and National Hunt horses. He first began training in 1956, he was only 19, and his first winners were Bower Chalk at Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...

 (Flat) and The Quiet Man at Wincanton Racecourse

Wincanton Racecourse

Wincanton Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Wincanton, Somerset, England.The steeplechase fences are large, making it a good test of a chaser...

 (jumps).

He finally retired on the final day of the 2004 Flat season and is one of the few men to have trained the winner of the Grand National

Grand National

The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

, the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham Gold Cup

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...

 and the Champion Hurdle

Champion Hurdle

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

. In total he trained over 2,000 winners.

On 12 December 2006 he was elected an Honorary Member of the Jockey Club

Jockey Club

The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...

 and he is currently (April 2008) a Director of the British Horseracing Authority

British Horseracing Authority

The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain.It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority .Its stated objectives are to: “provide the most...

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to horse racing.