Dorothy Paget's mother was a member of the New York Whitney family, which was one of the most prominent thoroughbredhorse racing and breeding families in America. Paget too owned a stable of thoroughbreds as well as the Ballymacoll Stud breeding farm in County Meath, Ireland. Her horses won a total of 1,532 races in both flat and hurdling. She was the British flat racing Champion Owner in 1943, the year her horse Straight Deal won The Derby. She was leading National Hunt owner in 1933–34, 1940–41 and 1951–52. She owned seven Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, Golden Miller five times, 1932–1936 inclusive, Roman Hackle in 1940 and Mont Tremblant in 1952. Her four Champion Hurdle winners were Insurance in 1932 and 1933, Solford in 1940 and Distel in 1946. Golden Miller also provided her with her solitary victory in the Grand National in 1934, still the only occasion any horse has won the two major prizes of British steeplechasing in the same season.[2]
Although Paget spent today's equivalent of many millions of pounds on bloodstock, Golden Miller and Insurance were by far the best known of her horses. They were purchased from Mr. Phillip Carr (the father of A. W. Carr, the Nottinghamshire and England cricket captain) for 12,000 guineas (£441,000 in today's currency[when?]) for both of them. Her Derby winner, Straight Deal, was home bred and sire of the Champion Hurdle winner of 1957, Merry Deal, and it was at her Ballymacoll Stud that Arkle was foaled. On her death in 1960, Ballymacoll Stud was acquired by the English industrialist, Sir Michael Sobell.
Her many trainers, seventeen or eighteen in all, included Basil Briscoe, Owen Anthony, Frenchie Nicholson, Fulke Walwyn, Walter Nightingall (under both codes), Henri Jelliss, Sir Gordon Richards and, for a brief period, Fred Darling. She was considered a notoriously difficult owner, often phoning her trainer in the middle of the night. She famously, and very publicly fell out with Basil Briscoe after Golden Miller's repeated failure to win a second Grand National, despite it being very clear that the horse despised the Aintree course. She also threw a screaming fit at Fulke Walwyn after the trainer could 'only' deliver five winners of a six race card.
In her early years Paget hunted enthusiastically.
At the outbreak of war in 1939 and for some five years previously the two biggest racecourse gamblers, as opposed to professional backers, were both women. The other was Mrs. J.V. Rank (the sister in law of J. Arthur Rank)[3] who, like Paget, had a number of horses in training but nothing like so many. Neither would hesitate to have £10,000 (£320,000 in today's money) or more on their horses whenever they ran.
Motor racing
In the late 1920s financed the team of supercharged Bentleys created by Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin, a member of the Nottingham lace family.
Paget is notably responsible for financing an old age home for Russian émigrés at Château de la Cossonnerie ("La Maison Russe")[4] (originally an 18th-century farm, which had been enlarged at the beginning of the 19th century) as well as the Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery in France. Dorothy Paget took profound interest in the fate of the Russian refugees after having attended a finishing school in Paris founded by Elena Orlov and sister Princess Vera Meshchersky[5] (one of the Russian Red Cross trustees and daughter of Karl von Struve). Vera's niece, "Olili" (Olga Mumm, daughter of Vera's sister Olga) was Dorothy's beloved, long-time companion and with her, managed the breeding and training programs of Paget's racing stables. It was Dorothy Paget who purchased the plot for the cemetery, where such notable Russians as Ivan Bunin, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Rudolf Nureyev were later buried. She also saw to it that the residents of the old-age home "were supplied with turkey and plum pudding at Christmas time".[6][7]
Dorothy Paget lived an eccentric lifestyle at home, spending most of the day in bed and rising at night. Most bookmakers employed a member of staff to be on the phone at night to take bets solely from Miss Paget and also allowed her to place bets on races that had already taken place the previous day purely on her oath that she did not know the result. Her honesty in this regard was noted by the fact the majority of the horses she backed were already known by the bookmaker to have been beaten. In return however the bookmakers always honoured the occasions where she selected horses they knew to have won. She also assigned her staff different colours, with the exception of green, which she despised, and would use the colours in place of their names when speaking to them or of them.
Paget died of heart failure on 9 February 1960, aged fifty-four.
^Racing Colours of Famous Owners: Mrs J.V. Rank Archived 5 May 2013 at archive.today
^The history of la Cossonnerie in the Magazine Municipal Sainte-Geneviëve-des-Bois, No 239, 2007 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^1927, April 27: Princess Vera Meshchersky founds the "Russian House, in Rue de la Cossonerie, Saint-Geneviève-des-Bois 27 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
^Quintin Gilbey "Queen of the Turf; The Dorothy Paget Story"
^James E. Hassell. Russian Refugees in France and the United States Between the World Wars. ISBN978-0-87169-817-9. Page 68.
Further reading
Gilbey, Quintin. Queen of the turf; the Dorothy Paget story. London, Arthur Barker [1973] [x], 3-160 p. illus. 22 cm. ISBN978-0-213-16435-5
Sharpe, Graham & Colley, Declan. Dorothy Paget: The Eccentric Queen of the Sport of Kings Newbury, Racing Post, 2017
Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly. The Ugly One; The Childhood Memoirs of Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly 1913–39. London, Michael Joseph [1998], ISBN0-7181-4333-7. (Countess Ranfurly was employed briefly by Paget in the late 1930s)
Dorothy Paget's Bio on the anatpro website
External links
History of Ballymacoll Stud Horse farm in Ireland owned by Dorothy Paget.
May 04, 2023
dorothy, paget, dorothy, wyndham, paget, february, 1905, february, 1960, british, racehorse, owner, sponsor, motor, racing, honourableborn, 1905, february, 1905englanddied9, february, 1960, 1960, aged, englandeducationheathfield, schooloccupationracehorse, own. Dorothy Wyndham Paget 21 February 1905 9 February 1960 was a British racehorse owner and sponsor of motor racing The HonourableDorothy PagetBorn 1905 02 21 21 February 1905EnglandDied9 February 1960 1960 02 09 aged 54 EnglandEducationHeathfield SchoolOccupationRacehorse ownerKnown forSainte Genevieve des Bois Russian CemeteryParent s Lord QueenboroughPauline Payne Whitney Contents 1 Early life 2 Horse racing and gambling 3 Motor racing 4 Benefactress 5 Later life 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life EditPaget was the daughter of Lord Queenborough and Pauline Payne Whitney of the American Whitney family She was a cousin of Jock Whitney owner of the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Easter Hero and latterly American Ambassador in London and granddaughter of William C Whitney a wealthy American businessman politician and racehorse owner Paget was educated at Heathfield School Ascot Berkshire She lived for the most part in Hermit s Wood Nightingales Lane she also owned Pollards Wood Grange Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire England 1 Horse racing and gambling EditDorothy Paget s mother was a member of the New York Whitney family which was one of the most prominent thoroughbred horse racing and breeding families in America Paget too owned a stable of thoroughbreds as well as the Ballymacoll Stud breeding farm in County Meath Ireland Her horses won a total of 1 532 races in both flat and hurdling She was the British flat racing Champion Owner in 1943 the year her horse Straight Deal won The Derby She was leading National Hunt owner in 1933 34 1940 41 and 1951 52 She owned seven Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Golden Miller five times 1932 1936 inclusive Roman Hackle in 1940 and Mont Tremblant in 1952 Her four Champion Hurdle winners were Insurance in 1932 and 1933 Solford in 1940 and Distel in 1946 Golden Miller also provided her with her solitary victory in the Grand National in 1934 still the only occasion any horse has won the two major prizes of British steeplechasing in the same season 2 Although Paget spent today s equivalent of many millions of pounds on bloodstock Golden Miller and Insurance were by far the best known of her horses They were purchased from Mr Phillip Carr the father of A W Carr the Nottinghamshire and England cricket captain for 12 000 guineas 441 000 in today s currency when for both of them Her Derby winner Straight Deal was home bred and sire of the Champion Hurdle winner of 1957 Merry Deal and it was at her Ballymacoll Stud that Arkle was foaled On her death in 1960 Ballymacoll Stud was acquired by the English industrialist Sir Michael Sobell Her many trainers seventeen or eighteen in all included Basil Briscoe Owen Anthony Frenchie Nicholson Fulke Walwyn Walter Nightingall under both codes Henri Jelliss Sir Gordon Richards and for a brief period Fred Darling She was considered a notoriously difficult owner often phoning her trainer in the middle of the night She famously and very publicly fell out with Basil Briscoe after Golden Miller s repeated failure to win a second Grand National despite it being very clear that the horse despised the Aintree course She also threw a screaming fit at Fulke Walwyn after the trainer could only deliver five winners of a six race card In her early years Paget hunted enthusiastically At the outbreak of war in 1939 and for some five years previously the two biggest racecourse gamblers as opposed to professional backers were both women The other was Mrs J V Rank the sister in law of J Arthur Rank 3 who like Paget had a number of horses in training but nothing like so many Neither would hesitate to have 10 000 320 000 in today s money or more on their horses whenever they ran Motor racing EditIn the late 1920s financed the team of supercharged Bentleys created by Sir Henry Tim Birkin a member of the Nottingham lace family Benefactress Edit La Maison Russe from Rue Miss Paget in Sainte Genevieve des Bois Essonne Paget is notably responsible for financing an old age home for Russian emigres at Chateau de la Cossonnerie La Maison Russe 4 originally an 18th century farm which had been enlarged at the beginning of the 19th century as well as the Sainte Genevieve des Bois Russian Cemetery in France Dorothy Paget took profound interest in the fate of the Russian refugees after having attended a finishing school in Paris founded by Elena Orlov and sister Princess Vera Meshchersky 5 one of the Russian Red Cross trustees and daughter of Karl von Struve Vera s niece Olili Olga Mumm daughter of Vera s sister Olga was Dorothy s beloved long time companion and with her managed the breeding and training programs of Paget s racing stables It was Dorothy Paget who purchased the plot for the cemetery where such notable Russians as Ivan Bunin Andrei Tarkovsky and Rudolf Nureyev were later buried She also saw to it that the residents of the old age home were supplied with turkey and plum pudding at Christmas time 6 7 There is a street named after her Rue Miss Paget in Sainte Genevieve des Bois Essonne Later life EditDorothy Paget lived an eccentric lifestyle at home spending most of the day in bed and rising at night Most bookmakers employed a member of staff to be on the phone at night to take bets solely from Miss Paget and also allowed her to place bets on races that had already taken place the previous day purely on her oath that she did not know the result Her honesty in this regard was noted by the fact the majority of the horses she backed were already known by the bookmaker to have been beaten In return however the bookmakers always honoured the occasions where she selected horses they knew to have won She also assigned her staff different colours with the exception of green which she despised and would use the colours in place of their names when speaking to them or of them Paget died of heart failure on 9 February 1960 aged fifty four References Edit David Ashforth on Dorothy Paget in the Racing Post accessed through The Free Library website 1 Archived 10 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine Grand National winners Racing Colours of Famous Owners Mrs J V Rank Archived 5 May 2013 at archive today The history of la Cossonnerie in the Magazine Municipal Sainte Genevieve des Bois No 239 2007 Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1927 April 27 Princess Vera Meshchersky founds the Russian House in Rue de la Cossonerie Saint Genevieve des Bois Archived 27 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Quintin Gilbey Queen of the Turf The Dorothy Paget Story James E Hassell Russian Refugees in France and the United States Between the World Wars ISBN 978 0 87169 817 9 Page 68 Further reading EditGilbey Quintin Queen of the turf the Dorothy Paget story London Arthur Barker 1973 x 3 160 p illus 22 cm ISBN 978 0 213 16435 5 Sharpe Graham amp Colley Declan Dorothy Paget The Eccentric Queen of the Sport of Kings Newbury Racing Post 2017 Hermione Countess of Ranfurly The Ugly One The Childhood Memoirs of Hermione Countess of Ranfurly 1913 39 London Michael Joseph 1998 ISBN 0 7181 4333 7 Countess Ranfurly was employed briefly by Paget in the late 1930s Dorothy Paget s Bio on the anatpro websiteExternal links EditPony Racing The Hon Dorothy Paget 1905 1962 History of Ballymacoll Stud Horse farm in Ireland owned by Dorothy Paget Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dorothy Paget amp oldid 1106679055, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
