# Toby Balding > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Toby_Balding > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Toby_Balding.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Balding > Source revision: 1330771611 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British racehorse trainer **Gerald Barnard Balding Jr.** [OBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) (23 September 1936 – 25 September 2014), known as **Toby Balding**, was a British [racehorse](/source/Horse_racing) [trainer](/source/Horse_trainer), one of the few to have won the "big three" British [jump races](/source/Jump_racing)—the [Grand National](/source/Grand_National), [Cheltenham Gold Cup](/source/Cheltenham_Gold_Cup) and [Champion Hurdle](/source/Champion_Hurdle).[1] ## Biography He was born in the [United States](/source/United_States) where his father, [Gerald Barnard Balding, Sr.](/source/Gerald_Barnard_Balding%2C_Sr.), ran a [polo](/source/Polo) team. The family returned to the UK in 1945 and Toby was educated at [Marlborough College](/source/Marlborough_College). His brother, [Ian Balding](/source/Ian_Balding), also a trainer, trained [Mill Reef](/source/Mill_Reef) to win the Epsom Derby. TV presenter [Clare Balding](/source/Clare_Balding) is his niece and trainer [Andrew Balding](/source/Andrew_Balding) his nephew.[1] He achieved success with both [flat](/source/Flat_racing) and [National Hunt](/source/National_Hunt) horses. He first began training in 1956, aged 19, and his first winners were Bower Chalk at [Ascot Racecourse](/source/Ascot_Racecourse) on the [flat](/source/Flat_racing) and The Quiet Man at [Wincanton Racecourse](/source/Wincanton_Racecourse) over [jumps](/source/Jump_racing).[1] In 1969, Balding won his first [Grand National](/source/Grand_National) with [Highland Wedding](/source/Highland_Wedding), following up twenty years later with the [gelding](/source/Gelding) [Little Polveir](/source/Little_Polveir). That same year he had won the [Champion Hurdle](/source/Champion_Hurdle) with [Beech Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beech_Road&action=edit&redlink=1), a race he also went on to win in 1991 with [Morley Street](/source/Morley_Street) regarded as the best horse he trained.[1] [Cool Ground](/source/Cool_Ground) gave him a [Cheltenham Gold Cup](/source/Cheltenham_Gold_Cup) victory.[2] Balding was instrumental in the careers of [jockeys](/source/Jockey) [Adrian Maguire](/source/Adrian_Maguire) and [Tony McCoy](/source/Tony_McCoy), providing them both with their first jobs in England.[1] He was based at Fyfield near [Andover, Hampshire](/source/Andover%2C_Hampshire) and finally retired on the final day of the 2004 flat season, having trained over 2,000 winners. On 12 December 2006 he was elected an Honorary Member of the [Jockey Club](/source/Jockey_Club) and was for a time a Director of the [British Horseracing Authority](/source/British_Horseracing_Authority)[3] He was appointed [Officer of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to horse racing.[4] Toby Balding died on 25 September 2014, two days after his 78th birthday.[1] ## Significant wins ### Grand National - Highland Wedding (1969) - [Little Polveir](/source/Little_Polveir) (1989) ### Cheltenham Gold Cup - [Cool Ground](/source/Cool_Ground) (1992) ### Champion Hurdle - Beech Road (1989) - [Morley Street](/source/Morley_Street) (1991) ## See also - [List of significant families in British horse racing](/source/List_of_significant_families_in_British_horse_racing) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Armytage140925_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Armytage140925_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Armytage140925_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Armytage140925_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Armytage140925_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Armytage140925_1-5) Armytage, Marcus (25 September 2014). ["Balding, Grand National and Gold Cup winning trainer, dies aged 78"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/11122546/Toby-Balding-Grand-National-and-Gold-Cup-winning-trainer-dies-aged-78.html). *[Daily Telegraph](/source/Daily_Telegraph)*. [London](/source/London). Retrieved 25 September 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-RP140925_2-0)** Cobb, John (25 September 2014). ["Legendary trainer Toby Balding dies aged 78"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044257/http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/legendary-trainer-toby-balding-dies-aged-78/1725135#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews). *[Racing Post](/source/Racing_Post)*. [London](/source/London). Archived from [the original](http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/legendary-trainer-toby-balding-dies-aged-78/1725135/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [British Horseracing Authority Board & Executives](http://www.britishhorseracing.com/inside_horseracing/about/directors.asp) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080514152158/http://www.britishhorseracing.com/inside_horseracing/about/directors.asp) 2008-05-14 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["No. 59647"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59647/supplement/9). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)* (Supplement). 31 December 2010. p. 9. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Toby Balding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Balding) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Balding?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.