European Exports With Robert Hammond

[Wandering Eyes]

European Exports is a series where we catch up with people who have left their home countries to make a new life in racing in America. For this edition, we caught up with Darby Dan Farm’s Robert Hammond.

TDN: Tell us a bit about where you’re from.

RH: I’m from the south of England, originally. South London, Sussex–beautiful, right near the coast in the south of England. That’s where my family is from, but I lived for a long time in Newmarket. I was an assistant trainer there, but that was a long time ago now, that was back in mid-90s and I came over here in 1997.

I was assistant to a gentleman named Paul Howling, who trained near the Limekilns, a famous gallop in Newmarket. It’s a beautiful place, and we had a small stable with 30, 40 horses. We raced all over England, and it was good times early in my career.

TDN: How did your interest in racing come about?

RH: My interest came through my father. He started out as an owner in England. His first horse, he had 10% in a partnership like everybody else, and I got involved and interested. Over the years, he had a few more horses, and I used to go to the races with him as a young boy and I decided I wanted to be a racehorse trainer at the age of 11 or 12.

TDN: Why did you decide to come to America?

RH: I came over for the horse business. First I came over to Texas for a year, and I was in Lone Star Park hot walking horses and then worked my way up to assistant. Then I decided it was far too hot in Texas and I would have to come and live in Kentucky.

I came [to Kentucky] for a sale. It was so beautiful here and the weather was much more English style, so I decided to move up here and started a small farm. It’s been 22 years now.

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TDN: Is there anything you miss about England?

RH: I miss some friends, a few friends that I had in England, but generally not, no. This is my home for a long time now, my family is here, I’m married, I have three lovely children, so I’m happy here. I’ve never had any homesick feelings for England or Europe.

TDN: And is there anything about Kentucky that you’d have a hard time giving up if you were to leave?

RH: I do like the bourbon, I’ve got to admit. I’ve grown to enjoy the bourbon side of things, and with the whole new bourbon tour feature, that’s been great.

TDN: When you go home, do your family and friends comment on your accent?

RH: When I go home to England, they say I have an American accent, which I can’t hear one way or another and I don’t think my wife does either, but when I go home it definitely gets a bit more English, sounds a bit more like the Royal Family.

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