Owner/breeder Richard Watson passed away peacefully at his home in Rutland, U.K. on Tuesday. He was 91. Watson was a leading veterinary surgeon and a major shareholder at Gibson's Veterinary Hospital in Oakham who was acknowledged as a leader in his field, helping and working with a number of the country's current top surgeons in their early days, notably great friends Geoff Lane and Ian Wright. Watson was also the racecourse vet at Leicester and Nottingham until he turned 70, and then devoted his time to his veterinary practice until retiring for good in 2001.
Watson, with his wife Tessa, operated Manor Farm Stud in Rutland and won the 1996 TBA Leading Breeders of the Year Award after having bred three Royal Ascot winners that season. Their colours were born by a number of potent homebreds through the years including: 2013 English highweight and G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. heroine Jwala (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}); and fellow English highweight Orient (GB) (Bay Express {Ire}), runner-up in the G3 Greenlands S. and third in the 1987 G1 King's Stand S. They were also respected vendors of British-bred yearlings at Doncaster and Tattersalls, the Watsons' most notable offering was 2002 dual English highweight Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}), a winner of the G1 Cheveley Park S. and the second dam of Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The Watsons' broodmare Kangra Valley (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), the dam of Airwave, was honoured with the 2002 TBA Broodmare of the Year Award.
Manor Farm Stud is now operated by their son Toby, and has been well-represented in the winner's enclosure this summer with homebred fillies: Ocelot (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}) (three wins); Sitar (GB) (Aqlaam {GB}) (two wins); and Hindsight (GB) (Sayif {Ire}).
Watson is survived by Tessa, his children Toby and Anna and grandchildren Kate, Ella, Henrietta, Joe and Ben. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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