Final farewell to former amateur jockey, polo player and hunt master
By William Barlow
Sir John Barlow, the former amateur jockey, polo player and master of the Cheshire Hunt died on 30 December aged 88.
He was brought up in Cheshire and having attended Winchester College, went to Trinity College, Cambridge where he was master of the drag hounds. There, having managed to hide his car from the authorities, he spent most early mornings riding out at Newmarket.
Racing was his foremost sporting passion and he rode more than 100 point-to-point winners, and more than 25 winners under Rules in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Following retirement from the saddle he was chairman of the Cheshire point-to-point for many years.
He was a racecourse steward at Cheltenham, Aintree, Bangor and Chester and a director of Haydock. He was a member of the Jockey Club and served as a steward.
In the summer he played polo at Cheshire in the family team with his father and brothers, and attained a handicap of three. The team had some notable successes across the country in the 1960s and ‘70, and later he was a steward of the Hurlingham Polo Association.
He was chairman of the Cheshire Hunt and then master in the heydays of Johnnie O’ Shea being huntsman. He also very much liked visiting other packs.
In business he worked in London, initially in managing the family’s interests in Malaysia, then as chairman of Majedie Investments, an investment company.
His marriage to Susan (née Horsbrugh Porter) produced four sons: William, David, Michael and Charlie, of whom three rode winners in point-to-points, and one was a three-goal polo player. All continue Sir John’s interest in equestrian sport, as do many of his 13 grandchildren.
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