Bill Carne found out a great deal more about horses when he met Robert Luke at his excellent stables near Clarbeston Road . . .

 

ROBERT Luke clearly knows his stuff with regard to horses because he runs an excellent stable at Selvedge Farm, near Clarbeston Road, where he has several horses doing well in Point to Point, brings on talented young horses for eager owners and is eventually aiming to acquire his national Hunt Licence, and also train horses for racing on the flat.

He works long shifts as his day starts at 6.30am and usually doesn't finish until he has had a walk around to double check on his equine charges about 9.30pm but is very lucky that his fiancee Rowenna is 100% involved in the stable and eases his work-load. 

And a busy work-load it is because as well as the early morning feed (horses first then Robert when all the horses have been looked after!) they have to be mucked out and prepared for their days work, which includes a vital warm-up on the circular horse walker, which calms excitable horses down, helps those with a little stiffness and generally provides a good start to the day before its out on the grass gallops in all weathers.

Then there's schooling to be done and sometimes five are placed in the lorry and taken down to Broad Haven for a ride in the surf.

"They love it," says Robert, "and it is great for their well-being and for helping to heal minor strains."

Then there's paperwork to be done and horses to be got in from the field before supper, and a final feed for some horses, as well as a last walk around to check all his equine charges are settled in for the night.

Outside of his working with horses, Robert was a keen rugby player as a youngster and set out in rugby at St Aidans School, Wiston, and then at STP School where Gelly James was his excellent coach.

"I played for the county under John Fenton at all age groups alongside the likes of Stuart Tyrie," said Robert, "and went on tour to Ireland as an enjoyable part of my involvement.

"I really enjoyed playing sevens and also played junior and youth rugby at Narberth, where Robert Simons was the coach.

"I also liked football but was a bit too wild with my tackling to play in the league," admitted Robert with a chuckle, "but I did represent the county in middle distance and cross-country running, where my rugby fitness and work on the family farm was a great help in building stamina."

 Rowenna also enjoyed netball and athletics in Greenhill School, Tenby, and loves her involvement with the horses, including riding out to exercise them. Robert's brother Roland also played rugby and sister Rhonwen likes watching sport, as do parents Rhiannon and Randal, who were kept to busy on the farm to play too much sport! His mothers side of the family have always been keen on horses, with his great grandfather being Laurie Evans, who hailed from Penally Court Farm and was renowned for the show jumpers and point to point runners he turned out over many years, plus the winner of the Yorkshire Cup on one famous occasion.

 

"I started riding when he was 11 with the Pembrokeshire Hunt branch of the Pony Club," said Robert, "and we reached the finals of the National Championships in the Midlands. We also had a team at STP School although I always had my leg pulled by the other boys when we had to go up on stage to receive the medals we won!"

But it was this experience which was to bring about major changes in Robert's life because after gaining his Pony Club A test at Stoneleigh he was invited at 18 to join world-famous three-day eventer Ian Stark at his stables near Hawick, in Scotland.

"That was in 1999 and I stayed until 2003," Robert told us, "and it was a wonderful experience where I learned so much from a great horseman.

"I started out as a stable lad and then second jockey with responsibility for riding Ian's young horses. Then I was promoted to Head Lad and took part in Three-Day Eventing where I rode his horses that needed the experience or who were working their way back to full fitness.

"It took me to places like America, and all over Europe and was excellent for learning about horse management on long trips and I was short-listed for the Young Riders team in the European Championships on a good New Zealand horse called Rangitoto.

"There was plenty of adrenalin in three-day eventing, not only with the nervous technicalities of dressage but the taking on of big fences in the cross-country section. I ploughed through a few in my time and had a few tumbles, but luckily nothing that caused broken bones!

"I also looked after point to pointers with Mr Stark, including one called Maximise which won by 25 lengths on debut at Kelso. I could not have had a wider range of experience with a better person and we still keep in touch on a weekly basis now, even though I left at Christmas in 2003."

Robert came home after his dad finished milking and he started up his equine venture with mainly show jumpers and eventing horses, plus a few which were there to gain experience.

"I had Cresswell Ollie from Bruce McKay, who came second on debut and a good horse called Oca de Thaix from Ian Stark which came third in a Hunter/Chase at Cheltenham and won at point to points - and he now has a good academy of young horses who are developing nicely.

"Last season we had six horses racing and had five race winners, including Tiermore, a gelding which won at Newton Abbott and has never been out of the top four."

Robert's next step is that National Hunt Trainers licence and his crop of good young horses has been boosted by the arrival of promising rides from Steven Hadley, the Olympic show-jumper and another great mentor who travels to Selvedge Farm to help school horses whenever he can find time.

Robert's aim is eventually to have 25-30 horses in training at his stable and he has excellent means by which someone who wants to be involved but can't afford a horse can take part in a syndicate or a Racing Club.

"It provides great fun without too much cost," says Robert, "and anyone interested just needs to contact me on my web site for details."

There's one thing for sure it would be hard to find anyone more committed to his cause and the Selvedge Farm Stables run by Robert Luke are surely going to go from strength to strength in the next few years!