Vicki Gibbins spends the day with Anna Lisa Balding at Kingsclere

Vicki Gibbins goes behind the scenes with Anna Lisa Balding

Horse Racing

Sat June 27, 2026 · 2h ago

I arrive to meet Anna Lisa Balding on a rain-sodden Thursday morning, sweets in hand.

“How did you know?!” she laughs. “That’s why I like going to the Northern tracks; it means I can visit the Haribo factory.

“I’ll just put them in the fridge. Andrew and I like them cold.”

The idea of cold confectionary floors me momentarily, but I recover hastily and gratefully accept a steaming cup of tea with a hearty side of Kingsclere hospitality.

I’m spending the morning with Anna Lisa, a peek over the proverbial stable door at the inner workings of the historic yard.

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“I think it’ll be quite boring,” she says, emptying the oven of freshly-made sausage rolls and replacing with dollops of cookie dough on a baking sheet, whilst glancing at an inexhaustible to-do list.

I beg to differ within ten minutes. A quick breakdown of the costing spreadsheets and a signature on the new pest control contract are neatly ticked off and my mind is already racing with the minutiae of running a racing yard.

“Can we move the bits behind the barn?” she asks the estates manager, before pausing momentarily. “We need to check that there are no Royal Ascot runners in there, we don’t want them to be disturbed.”

It makes sense. But I’m already beginning to understand that Anna Lisa thinks on multiple levels and her mind has already moved to the next problem.

“Can we check that the tractor won’t leave tyre marks before starting? If a loose horse comes from the horse-walk, we don’t want them to injure themselves in the ruts.”

We return to the kitchen and Anna Lisa switches effortlessly from discussing the location of pheasant eggs (“Twelve of them? Let’s leave the mowing until they’ve hatched.”) to welcoming owners with a tray of freshly-baked goodies and hot coffee.

“Andrew went to touch rugby in the village for the first time last night and I have to say, he came back a nicer person,” Anna Lisa smiles, enveloping visitors in the warm hug of family life.

Anna Lisa Balding talking to Oisin Murphy at Doncaster

Enter Andrew, gingerly nursing sore muscles.

“I ran rings around them,” he confirms to the waiting audience with a laugh.

Rain doesn’t stop play at Kingsclere (the yard team are playing cricket tonight) and we head out for third lot. Meticulous attention to detail is everywhere: from the distinguishable yellow caps to denote visiting owner horses in the string, to the gallop-side box of spare equipment ready for the unexpected.

Like all good marriages, Andrew and Anna Lisa work tirelessly and effortlessly together, remaining in their own lane whilst always aligned in the same direction.

“He does horses, I do humans. It’s our responsibility to look after everyone,” says Anna Lisa. “Everything lies with us. We have exemplary staff and we have to support them by making the system work.

“Andrew is very easy to work with. He has high standards and if we deliver to that standard, he doesn’t bother with the little things.

“That’s my job and Andrew’s job is to train.”

We jump in the car, armed with an enthusiastic Labrador, and pause to allow Andrew to cross the road on his way to oversee fourth lot.

“It would be annoying to lose him before Royal Ascot,” she muses.

It’s a short drive to the top of the downs, of Watership fame, and we stop momentarily to check fixings for a gate.

“What do you think people forget about the job?” I ask, curious.

“It’s the little things, I think,” Anna Lisa says.

“Last week, our horses walked through the car park on the Downs and someone rang up to say there were no signs to say horses could be walking through the car park.

“It seems silly, but I have to react straight away – so we’ve now got signs to put on the gates.”

“It’s a good life, isn’t it Tiggy?” she smiles to the dog, who laughs joyously back.

The Baldings celebrate a winner at Windsor

As Anna Lisa checks a condensation problem in the staff hostel bathroom, hangs wet saddle cloths in the drying room and finds a potato peeler for the preparation of the canteen lunch, the job list appears to grow, not reduce.

“The horses are the easy bit,” she remarks. “The pressure of looking after the staff is huge.

“We have a lot of young people. We take people from the age of sixteen and they are living on their own for the first time. They may not know how to change sheets or insure their car. Nutrition as well: they’ve got twenty pounds in their pocket for the first time and want to buy a McDonalds or don’t know what to snack on if they stop at a garage.

“We can’t stop them, but we can educate them.”

For the staff, there’s a fully equipped gym with personal training sessions available, regular educational talks held in the historic colours room and the smell of poached pears in red wine for pudding. People are well-looked after, and so are the horses.

Every individual is greeted with warmth and a word and people respond in kind, providing a flood of information to be considered and responded to.

“It’s about keeping everyone happy; whether it’s the pest control man or the feed person. You need everyone on side, because we rely on so many individuals.

“Happy humans equal happy horses.”

“Is there a moment, when you can relax?” I smile, as she checks a barn for the location of the hot water switch.

“January, when we go on holiday?” Anna Lisa laughs.

I don’t believe her, not even for a second.