POINTING PEOPLE:
KEITH LOADS IN CONVERSATION WITH JAKE EXELBY
Norfolk farmer, stand-up comedian and former amateur rider Keith Loads is one of the more colourful owners on the pointing circuit, as well known for his enthusiastic celebrations as he was in venues up and down the country in his time as the ‘King of Norfolk Squit’! His light blue and white colours have been carried successfully both under rules and between the flags over the past decade and Jake Exelby got the lowdown on Keith’s 50 years in racing, a landmark he celebrated last season.
Tell me about your background
I’m 68 and from Hindringham, near Fakenham, but I now live with my partner Kate, near Framlingham in Suffolk. I’m a third-generation farmer but never wanted to farm – I’d have walked away if I’d had a brother but had two sisters!
Talk me through your career in racing so far
We used to have horses on the farm before tractors, and I had ITV racing on at the weekends – that’s where the bug came from. From an early age I wanted to be a jockey or trainer.
How did you get into point-to-pointing in the first place?
I’ve been going pointing since the age of eight or nine, in the era of Michael Bloom, David Wales and Robert Case, then David and Josie Turner – I grew up looking up to them.
When I was 18, I was given an ex-racehorse – Fonton Eye VI – that would be good for me to learn on. The horse was free, but I had to pay £100 for the tack, which was a lot, as I was earning £6 a week at the time! I used to get up at 4am to train him before starting farming, and take him to the beach at Holkham, walking him in the sea to get him sound. I trained him for the Newmarket Town Plate in 1975, I think we finished sixth (Sale & Mackenzie says they were tailed off!) and I was hooked.
Talk me through your riding career – point-to-points / flat / jumps
I rode for about 25 years off and on and never rode an ‘official’ winner, although I had two charity race wins at Fakenham. I had several placings under rules and in Arab racing and was twice beaten in a photo finish by leading amateur Chris Bonner.
I only had a handful of rides a year and would diet to race, but the weight would go straight back on, and it would have been easier if I was riding every day.
Keith in action over hurdles on Spanish Whisper
You’ve had an increased presence in recent years. Why is that?
I used to do it on a shoestring and every penny I earned went towards horses but about a dozen years ago, I had an offer for a piece of farmland that I couldn’t refuse, so I was able to get better class horses for both pointing and rules and took it to the next level.
Last year, you had a lot more pointers than usual – why so many and what were your hopes?
I reckon you used to need 12 or 13 winners to be leading owner, so I bought a few more to try and win the title in my 50th year racing. Little did I know how many runners Tim Vaughan would have! I knew within a few weeks that I wouldn’t win.
What have been your highlights of 50 years in the sport?
28th January 2024 was a once in a lifetime day. I had three runners with two trainers and three winners, ridden by three different jockeys. It was unreal, a dream and didn’t really sink in at the time, as they were in consecutive races, so I didn’t have the chance to enjoy it until afterwards.
A montage of Keith’s three Horseheath winners on January 28th 2024
And funniest moment?
It was at Dingley. I can’t say who, but three male jockeys decided to run naked down the slope from the car park to the racecourse.
You’ve had horses with a number of trainers over the years – what influences your decision on where to send your horses?
I went with Tom and Gina Ellis because (before Tom took out a licence) they were professional in every way except the name. The only downside is that they’re three hours away, so I don’t get to see the horses. Andrew Pennock is only 40 minutes up the road, and we had success with Trojan Du Berlais last season, so I’ve got another one – Wiseman Said – with him this year.
TROJAN DU BERLAIS WINNING AT HORSEHEATH ( Graham Bishop )
I’m cutting down on pointers this season, because the training fees are almost as high as under rules and you’re running for £150! But I hope ‘Trojan’ will make the Intermediate Final at Cheltenham.
Under rules, it’s slightly different. I’ve got two horses with Gary Moore, as he specialises in juvenile hurdlers. Royal Way won two for me last year and I’ve got Risk It All, who won a bumper in France, who he holds in high regard. (He was third on his British debut recently).
And I could talk all night about Lunar Contact! He won a point-to-point at Fakenham and was always going under rules with Tom. He ran badly first time and I said he had one more chance, so we sent him back to Fakenham as we knew he liked it there. He won, then won there again, then Tom ran him over hurdles without a penalty and he completed his hat-trick – three wins in four weeks!
LUNAR CONTACT (left) on the way to victory at Fakenham (Graham Bishop)
What are your ambitions in the sport?
I’ve got a pointer – Well Buoy – in Ireland with Enda Bolger, who won his Maiden in November. I bought him after he’d finished second in a bumper – if he’d won, I couldn’t have afforded him! It’s always been a dream to have a cross-country banks horse and Enda’s the king of the banks.
The plan is to qualify him for the Ladies Cup at Punchestown and, long-term, for Cheltenham. To have a runner at those festivals has been a dream for 25 years and I bought Risk It All for the Triumph Hurdle or – if not – the Boodles (4yo Handicap Hurdle).
Which jockey(s) do you like to use and why?
If I had the choice, it would be Gina Andrews (Ellis) every single time. She’s so strong and I believe she’s ridden 25 winners for me. Her brother Jack has also won for me and is second to none as a judge of pace. And Paddy Barlow was brilliant on ‘Trojan’ last year – he’s bred to be a jockey.
GINA ANDREWS and TIGERBYTHETAIL winners of the Mixed Open race at the Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace point to point steeplechases at Horseheath racecourse on Sunday 28th January 2024. (Neale Blackburn )
Which has been your favourite horse that you’ve owned?
That’s very easy. Troufion, a gigantic grey who was about 17.2 hands. As a child, I had a dappled grey rocking horse, so always wanted to own a real grey. He was the first horse to win in my own colours when taking a Cottenham Maiden for Bridget Andrews, trained by Sandra Fryer. He then went under rules and won twice for Caroline Bailey.
Which horse (not one of your own) would you most like to own?
It’s not very original, but Ihandaya, the pointer who seriously could be anything.
What’s your favourite course?
I used to love riding at Cottenham – its closure was a sad loss – as it was a fair course, whose fences were second to none. I also enjoy Ampton – the downhill fence was like Bechers, with its drop.
What do you enjoy most about pointing?
I do it for two reasons. One is love, and the other is the friendship and fun you have, even if other people win. It’s not the same under rules. There’s no thrill like winning at a point-to-point – it’s a small world and everybody knows each other.
What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?
I’d run a mile from the job ! Pointing’s going through so many changes. From a racegoer’s point of view, there are too many conditions races, which means fewer runners in opens. They can be an easy way to get a win and make for less competitive racing.
Tell me about your 30 plus years of a comedy career
I always loved comedy on TV. We had a village party for the Silver Jubilee in 1977 then I did ten minutes of Norfolk comedy. Someone approached me to do more, so I built up a 40-minute set. It was a way of escaping the farm. Getting laughter on stage was like a drug and, if an evening went well, I was on a high for days.
My big break was when I did (turkey king) Bernard Matthews’ 80th birthday, which people like Jim Davidson and Ronnie Corbett attended. It led to more work and my biggest gig was the Thursford Christmas Spectacular, the biggest of its kind in Europe and as good as any West End show.
What is ‘Norfolk squit’?
It’s a mixture of humour and comedy and Norfolk is the only place it’s used. I’d go on stage and say, “It’s half skill, half wit, so we call it squit!”
Who are your comedy heroes?
Ken Dodd was my first. I got to know him well and we used to have a beer and a chat after shows. I also adored Cornish comedian Jethro – another massive supporter of pointing – and worked at his club. I was billed as ‘Norfolk’s Jethro’.
Tell me a joke
People ask me what I do with my time now I’m retired. Well, I’m writing a book about gales and hurricanes. It’s just a draft at the moment.
