Gordon Lord Byron was no ordinary racehorse – and his incredible tale gained him fans around the world.
Plucky horse
You can find out about this horse’s battle against the odds in an award-winning documentary, which is making its UK television premiere on Horse & Country.
Gordon Lord Byron’s life reads like a Dick Francis novel. Bought for €2,000, he fractured his pelvis on his racing debut and would have put been down if it wasn’t for the determination of his trainer, Tom Hogan. When he returned to the track more than a year later he came last – but incredibly this plucky horse went on to win more than £1.7m in prize money, winning 15 times from 71 starts.
Changed lives
His success wasn’t just about winning money, however, the Irish sprinter changed the lives of his owners, Morgan and Mary Calahan, bringing them hope and joy when both were diagnosed with cancer.
Gordon Lord Byron’s life is a remarkable tale that is explored in the aptly-named documentary Against The Odds.
Over the course of a year producer Nicholas Ryan Purcell and his team spoke to the people whose lives have been touched by the racehorse, including the Calahan family, co-owner Cyrus Poonawalla, trainer Tom Hogan and jockey William Buick, who rode him in a number of races.
Incredible life story
Jonathan Rippon, H&C’s head of programming said: “Gordon Lord Byron was a hugely popular horse who had admirers around the globe, and this documentary gives viewers an in-depth look at his incredible life story and his massive success as a racehorse, despite the odds being stacked against him.”
Against The Odds premieres on Thursday 11 May at 9pm on Sky 253, or you can watch online by subscribing to H&C Play.