{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use Irish English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox horseracing personality |name = Fergie Sutherland |image = |caption = |occupation = Trainer |birth_place = London, England |birth_date = {{Birth date|1931|6|1|df=y}} |death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|10|31|1931|6|1|df=y}} Macroom, County Cork, Ireland |career wins = |race = Queen Mary Stakes (1958)<br> Falmouth Stakes (1962)<br>Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase (1995)<br>Morris Oil Chase (1995)<br>Cheltenham Gold Cup (1996)<br>Hennessy Gold Cup (1996) |awards = |honours = |horses = A.20 Tournella Fox King Go Go Gallant Tempo Pancho's Tango Imperial Call | }}
'''Fergus "Fergie" Sutherland''' was an Irish<ref>{{cite web|last=Owen|first=Garry|title=CALL TO ARMS; I'll Imperial leather 'em says Scots ace Fergie|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CALL+TO+ARMS%3B+I'll+Imperial+leather+'em+says+Scots+ace+Fergie.-a061279107|work=Daily Record (Scotland)|accessdate=2013-01-19|quote=proudly calling himself an Irishman,}}</ref> National Hunt trainer and soldier, who was best known for training Imperial Call to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1996.<ref name="independent">{{cite news|title=Fergie Sutherland|url=http://www.independent.ie/obituaries/fergie-sutherland-3296861.html|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=4 January 2013|date=2012-12-03}}</ref>
==Early life== Sutherland was named after Fergus Bowes-Lyon, a brother of the Queen Mother who was killed during the Battle of Loos; Bowes-Lyon had been a friend of Sutherland's father Arthur.<ref name="independent" />
Although Sutherland was born in London he spent most of his childhood in Scotland near the town of Peebles.<ref name="heraldscotland">{{cite web|last=Vallance|first=Matt|title=Fergus Sutherland|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/comment/obituaries/fergus-sutherland.19312348?_=a602143828b77067022f6e0f10623fad4f346ce7|work=Herald Scotland|accessdate=2012-12-31}}</ref> He spent his summers at the Somerset seaside village of Porlock where prominent trainer Dick Hern taught him how to ride.<ref name="thefreelibrary">{{cite web|last=Owen|first=Gary|title=CALL TO ARMS; I'll Imperial leather 'em says Scots ace Fergie|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CALL+TO+ARMS%3B+I'll+Imperial+leather+'em+says+Scots+ace+Fergie.-a061279107|work=Daily Record (Scotland)}}</ref>
==Military career== He received his education at Eton and Sandhurst. He attained the rank of captain and was posted to the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. During service with the regiment in the Korean War he lost his left leg in an explosion.<ref name="independent"/> Sutherland later recounted the event: "Going up a hill, one of the four troops I was with tripped the wire of a landmine and set off the blast. I was the only one badly injured". A soldier who was with him declared 'You're OK, Mr Fergie, it's only the leg'. "I knew that because I had already checked".<ref name="independent" />
After a period of convalescence Sutherland was posted to Egypt.<ref name="heraldscotland" />
He refused to allow his disability to affect his quality of life and commissioned artificial legs for specific activities – for instance, he had different legs for horse riding, shooting and dancing.<ref name="independent" />
==Horse training== In 1957 he began his horse training career at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket as assistant to Geoffrey Brooke. In addition, he worked for Joe Lawson. Following Lawson's retirement, Sutherland's father purchased the Newmarket yard. During his initial season he enjoyed a considerable degree of success, his first winner coming when Tribune won at Wolverhampton in April 1958<ref>{{cite web|last=Jennings|first=David|title=Imperial Call trainer Sutherland dies at 81.|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Imperial+Call+trainer+Sutherland+dies+at+81.-a0307171266|work=Racing Post|accessdate=2013-01-27|archive-date=16 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416175436/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Imperial+Call+trainer+Sutherland+dies+at+81.-a0307171266|url-status=dead}}</ref> and saddling a winner at Royal Ascot when A.20 won the Queen Mary Stakes 1958. She was ridden by Bill Rickaby, owned by H. Clifton, and started at odds of 5/1.<ref name="thefreelibrary" /><ref>{{cite book|last1=Abelson|first1=Edward|last2=Tyrrel|first2=John| title=The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records|page=78|publisher=Breedon Books Publishing |year=1993|isbn=1-873626-15-0}}</ref>
In 1967 Sutherland moved to County Cork in Ireland, when he heard his mother was contemplating selling Aghinagh House in Killinardrish.<ref name="heraldscotland" /> He transformed the dairy and pig farm into one of the country’s most successful small racing stables.<ref name="independent" />
===Imperial Call=== After an impressive start to the 1996 racing season, Imperial Call ridden by Wexford born Jockey Conor O'Dwyer, beat Master Oats by six lengths to win the Hennessy at Leopardstown. Later that year he captured the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He was Sutherland's first runner at the festival and became the first Irish-trained horse since Dawn Run ten years previously to capture the "blue riband event".<ref>{{cite news|last=Edmonson|first=Richard|title=Imperial Call sweeps to victory|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/imperial-call-sweeps-to-victory-1342183.html|work=The Independent|location=London|date=1996-03-15}}</ref>
He retired in 1996 but briefly resumed training for two years in 2000.<ref name="heraldscotland" /> Sutherland was awarded Irish Horse Racing Personality of the Year in 1996.<ref name="heraldscotland" />
During his retirement he enjoyed shooting and occasionally fishing.<ref name="heraldscotland" />
==Personal life== In April 1954 Sutherland married Judy Ranger in London. The reception was held in The Savoy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Military Wedding in London|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UltAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5IsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2014,6348837&dq=fergus+sutherland&hl=en|work=Glasgow Herald|accessdate=2013-01-28}}</ref> The couple had four children. After a brief second marriage he married for a third time to Ann. The marriage produced one daughter.<ref name="independent" />
==Death== He died on 31 October 2012 at the Marymount Hospice in County Cork.<ref>{{cite web|last=Keane|first=Pat|title=Imperial Call's legendary trainer Fergie Sutherland passes away|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/racing/imperial-calls-legendary-trainer-fergie-sutherland-passes-away-212593.html|work=Irish Examiner|date=November 2012 |accessdate=2013-01-22}}</ref>
==References== <!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland, Fergie}} Category:Irish racehorse trainers Category:People from Macroom Category:1931 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Military personnel from London Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Category:British Army personnel of the Korean War Category:5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards officers Category:People educated at Eton College