Florence Nagle facts for kids
Florence Nagle (26 October 1894 – 30 October 1988) was a British woman who trained and bred racehorses. She also bred special kinds of dogs and fought for equal rights for women. People called her "the Mrs. Pankhurst of British horse racing" because she worked hard to change unfair rules.
In 1913, Florence bought her first Irish Wolfhound dog. Over her life, she owned or bred twenty-one Irish Wolfhound champions in the United Kingdom. One of her dogs, Sulhamstead Merman, even won the top prize at the famous Crufts dog show in 1960! She also had great success with Irish Setter dogs, winning eighteen Field Trial Champion titles from the 1920s to the 1960s. A male dog from her Irish Setter family helped bring back the Irish Red and White Setter breed in the 1970s.
Florence Nagle trained her first racehorse in 1920. Back then, women were not allowed to have a trainer's license from the Jockey Club. They had to hire men to hold the license for them. Florence worked peacefully to change these unfair rules. In 1966, she became one of the first two women in the United Kingdom to get an official license to train racehorses. The first horse officially trained by Florence was Mahwa.
Florence also wanted more chances for women to become jockeys. So, in 1986, she sponsored a race called the Florence Nagle Girl Apprentices' Handicap at Kempton Park. She passed away two years later at her home in West Chiltington, Sussex, when she was 94 years old. She left money in her will to make sure the race would continue.
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Early Life and Family
Florence Nagle was born in Fallowfield, Manchester. Her father was Sir William George Watson, a very successful businessman who owned Maypole Dairies. Florence went to school at Wycombe Abbey. She was once expelled from another school for visiting Worcester Cathedral without permission! She had hired a car for the trip, which was quite unusual because she was one of the first women in Berkshire to get a driving license, at just fifteen years old. After school, she spent some time in Paris and became friends with Megan Lloyd George, a famous politician's daughter.
During the First World War, Florence's family home, Sulhamstead Abbots, was used as a hospital. There, she met James Nagle, an Irish soldier who was recovering from injuries. Florence married James in 1916, even though her parents did not approve. Her parents even threatened to cut her off from their money.
Life was tough at first because Florence was used to a wealthy lifestyle, but her parents did not help them financially. Florence worked very hard to earn money. She made cream teas, cleaned windows, and scrubbed toilets. Florence and James had two children, a son named David and a daughter named Patricia.
Her marriage ended in 1928, and she later moved back to Sulhamstead in 1932 after inheriting some land and money from her father. In 1942, she bought a farm called Westerlands in Petworth so she could be closer to her horse stables.
During the Second World War, Florence worked in Folkestone, where she managed a canteen for the ARP. She also gave £5,000 to buy a Spitfire plane for the Royal Air Force, which was named Sulhamstead.
Dog Breeding Success
As a child, Florence had smaller dogs like a Pomeranian and a Bulldog. But she always wanted a bigger dog. In 1913, her wish came true when she bought her first Irish Wolfhound, Manin Michael. She later changed his name to Sir Michael of Sheppey. Even though dog breeding was officially stopped during the First World War due to food shortages, Florence went ahead and bred her first litter of puppies.
Florence became a judge for dog shows, specializing in Irish Wolfhounds and Setters. She also judged Great Danes and Deerhounds. Before her marriage ended, her husband would show her dogs at competitions.
In 1923, Florence bought a small puppy for £48, who became her first dog to win the title of Champion. This dog, named Sulhamstead Thelma, was chosen as the best Irish Wolfhound female dog at three Crufts shows in a row, from 1925 to 1927. Her next Champion was Sulhamstead Conncara, a male dog born in 1925. Conncara was blind, but Florence kept it a secret because she believed his amazing qualities would be ignored if people knew. He became a very important dog for the breed, producing many champions.
Florence owned or bred forty-five Wolfhounds that won special awards, and twenty-one of them became Champions. She believed dogs should be able to do the work they were originally bred for, so she supported hare coursing, a sport where dogs chase hares.
Her Irish Wolfhounds were also very successful in America. She started sending dogs there in 1933. She even judged dog shows in America, including the famous Westminster in 1937. In 1960, her Irish Wolfhound, Sulhamstead Merman, won Best in Show at Crufts, which is like being the "supreme champion" of the dog show.
Florence got her first Irish Setter in 1924. She named him Sulhamstead D'Or. She entered him in field trials, which are competitions where dogs show their hunting skills. She had eighteen Irish Setter field trial champions from the 1920s to the 1960s. One of her Irish Setters, Sulhamstead Natty D'Or, was an ancestor of a very important dog that helped bring back the Irish Red and White Setter breed in the 1970s.
Florence also owned other dog breeds, including Golden Retrievers and Pointers. She even had prize-winning farm animals, like a Berkshire boar pig named Pamber Ugly Duckling, who was a champion at the Royal Show in 1921.
Racehorse Training and Breeding
Florence Nagle trained her first racehorse, a young male horse named Fernley, in 1920. She was very interested in horse racing, especially breeding horses. In 1932, she owned a horse named Solano, who won a race.
In 1937, Florence entered her horse, Sandsprite, into The Derby, one of the most famous horse races. Sandsprite, ridden by John Crouch, finished second! This was the first horse Florence had bred herself. Some people had not thought much of Sandsprite, but Florence proved them wrong. Sandsprite's mother was a mare named Wood Nymph, whom Florence bought for 240 guineas.
Florence also bought a 15-year-old mare named Rose of England, who had won the Oaks race in 1930. Rose of England had already produced other winning horses. Under Florence's care, she gave birth to Westerlands Rose, who then produced several winners, including Westerlands Chalice and Game Rose. These horses won many races in the 1950s.
In 1944, Florence bought a two-year-old female horse named Carpatica for a record 15,000 guineas. She planned to train Carpatica at her stables in Petworth. Carpatica later gave birth to Cavina, who became a winner in the 1950s.
In the early 1960s, one of the main winners from Florence's stables was Gelert. He won a race at Ascot. Florence believed in feeding her horses seaweed for iodine and always left their stable doors open for fresh air. She also strongly disagreed with vaccinating horses against equine influenza.
Fighting for Equality
For twenty years, Florence Nagle worked to end the Jockey Club's rule that stopped women from getting licenses to train racehorses. She saw this as a big injustice. When the Jockey Club kept refusing, Florence decided to take them to court. Her fight finally reached the Court of Appeal in 1966.
After her third time in court, Florence won! The judges decided that she should be allowed to have a license. One judge, Lord Denning, said that refusing Florence a license was "arbitrary and capricious," meaning it was unfair and unreasonable. Another judge called it "restrictive and nonsensical." The court also mentioned the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, a law that aimed to remove barriers for women.
Because of the court's decision, the Jockey Club had to give in. On 3 August 1966, Florence Nagle and Norah Wilmot became the first women in Britain to officially receive licenses to train racehorses. Florence said she was proud of "dragging the Jockey Club into the twentieth century." She explained, "This was a matter of principle. I am a feminist. I believe in equal rights for women. Things should be decided by ability, not sex."
Even though women could train horses, it took another eight years for the Jockey Club to allow women jockeys in 1972. Florence believed that women could achieve anything men could in racing. She was described as "the Mrs Pankhurst of British horse racing" because of her strong fight for women's rights in the sport.
At 83 years old, Florence was still fighting for equality. She accused the Kennel Club of unfair treatment because they only allowed men to be members. She took them to court over this. The Kennel Club's rules said only men could be members. Even though her first attempt in court failed, Florence was determined to appeal.
Before she could appeal, the Kennel Club announced that they would change their rules to allow women members. This proposal was approved, and in April 1979, Florence Nagle and 79 other women were accepted as members of the Kennel Club. Florence paid for all the costs of this campaign herself.
Later Life
In the 1980s, Florence Nagle was still unhappy that women jockeys did not have enough opportunities. So, she sponsored a race at Kempton Park called The Florence Nagle Girl Apprentices' Handicap. The first race happened in 1986.
Florence Nagle passed away at her home in West Chiltington, Sussex, when she was 94 years old. She left money in her will to make sure that the Florence Nagle Girl Apprentices' Handicap race would continue for years to come.
Images for kids
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Florence Nagle around 1960.
