Does anyone remember that great stayer Forest King. One of, if not the toughest horses I've known. Give him 4miles or more on soft or softer and he was unbeatable. He actually ran in the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year on fast ground. I think he was 5th in the Gold Cup but definitely 5th in the Grand National. As far as I was concerned this was the biggest GN certainty of all time if the ground was right. Sadly it wasn't but he still ran a great race at 50/1. He wasn't a pretty horse; big Roman nose. One of his parents, I think it was his mum, was a trekking horse which is where the toughness came from I guess. Lovable horse, full of guts. I can't find any stories or any info about him and it's quite sad. Can anyone help?
'kin hell Ron homework on a Friday night. I found this in that fine publication the Cumberland and Westmoreland Herald: Ken Hogg trainer "I bought him for £125 as a trekking pony and we just thought we'd see if he was any good on a racecourse. He went on to win 9 of 11 starts in his second year and 4 chases within 24 days. One was the Eider Chase and the other was the Tote National (Uttoxeter) where he beat Red Rum and Rubstic." There's a bit more info in the article about the trainer but that's the main bit about the horse.
Wow, thanks Chan. I said he was tough. Won 4 chases in 24 days and they were tough races. Beat 2 GN winners too. No wonder I loved him. It's unfair that there is no recognition of him readily available.
I just remember the stories of him not being trained on a gallop but up long hill on rough pasture: War Horse stuff.
Yes, I know all about Kingy, I rode him miles as a young fresh backed baby and trekked him round the Lakeland fells while not racing in summer, when he retired from racing Ken gave him to me and he was with me many years but sadly had to be pts aged 22 when he sustained a broken leg after being kicked by a stroppy mare when Ken took him to the Isle of Man as it was milder there and by then he had a wee bit of arthritis in a front fetlock. He was a real horse in a million, intelligent, comic, sensible and kind, I recall occasions while trekking where it was wiser to knot his stirrups and reins and stick a novice child on his back rather than let the kid continue on some stroppy awkward trekking horse...they were much safer on Forest King. Ken is still on the go and visits here regularly...happy memories, how I loved that horse
Thank you Ron. Oh Kingy was out of a little chestnut mare called Workington Wanderer, she did spend a summer on the farm but we just led on her....Kingy however always earned his keep
And dad was a local horse called Rubstic though as registering kingy was an afterthought his papers always stated..."said to be by Rubstic" And yep he was galloped up the fells above Pooley Bridge on a regular basis as well as exploring the fells of Troutbeck and the forest land surrounding our farm, hence his name, Forest King, we had his brother before him, Cool Angel
To be honest I lost this page, tend to use facebook to stay in touch with my interests these days but a topic came up re Red Rum and whether Forest King ever beat him in a race and I did a search and up you all popped again
You've probably all lost interest by now but a nostalgic google search for Forest King brought me to this page. All prompted by a concert I went to last night with Judie Tzuke, who's hit song was on the Jukebox at Glendowlin Farm when I was there as a 13 year old horsey mad girl on holiday with my family, and spent the week looking after Kingy and Roman Deen and Chartist! I still have Forest King's shoe that Ken gave me. Someone mentioned Rubstic and Rubor, I remember another horse there called Ru and am wondering if he was related. Paintcobs are you a Hogg? I have so many wonderful memories of holidays spent at the Farm, including the Forest King club. What became of it all? I loved Kingy, I was so proud of him. I remember all the trekking ponies too, Rambler, Dynamite etc. Not really expecting an answer so many years on, but you never know....
I loved Forest King. I'm sure he would have won the GN if he had got his underfoot conditions. Ground was all against him and I thought he wouldn't run. But he did, and still ran a great race to finish 4th (if I remember correctly), 50/1?. Fond memories
He was fifth, behind Red Rum. I just watched it again on You Tube, such nostalgia. It was good to know what happened to him, that he lived a long and useful life. He was gorgeous.
