Respected Eden horse woman Evelyn Slack, who was a dominant force in the harness racing world, both as a trainer and leading driver over three decades, has died, aged 83.
Evelyn, of Stoneriggs, Hilton, was born on 17th December, 1940, to Tab and Anne Hogarth. The youngest sibling to Mary, Dot and Freda, her parents had hoped for a boy, hence she became Tom.
She grew up at Whinfell House, near Penrith, surrounded by horses and ponies and rode in her first pony race aged eight, before progressing to riding and driving in trotting races by the age of 13.
In 1962, she married Arthur Slack and horses became a full-time occupation. In the early 1970s, after moving to Stoneriggs from Murton in 1969, numbers of horses in training grew rapidly, with trips to the Toronto Winter Fair, in Canada, leading to stallions being imported and racehorses exported.
Soon they were training 20-plus horses, both home-bred, and for other people. Stoneriggs Stud became one of the largest standard bred studs in the country.
“They were breeding, breaking, racing, doing it all,” said daughter Dianne Sayer, who has a racing yard at Hackthorpe.
One of Evelyn’s proudest achievements came at York in 1991, as part of the Sire Stakes programme which was very big abroad, when she trained and drove three home-bred horses to win a total of six races in one day, including three heats and three finals.
Stoneriggs was a busy place and Evelyn had a dedicated team of helpers. Visitors came from all over the world; great friends were made and everyone was always welcome.
In 1982, she took out a permit to train National Hunt horses and, ever the perfectionist, became a registered farrier in 1986, a feat of which she was very proud.
Thoroughbred numbers grew and became her passion during the early 2000s.
Six foals were bought in Ireland and so the breeding and training process began again.
The season of 2007/08 was her best and saw her welcome home a total of 14 winners. She was joint leading trainer at Sedgefield and won the national permit trainer’s championship, a feat she achieved twice.
In 2015, the licence was taken over by son Ken, and the tradition is continued today by granddaughter Anna who trained a winner for Evelyn when Iolani triumphed at Cartmel in May.
Dianne said her mother was an exceptionally talented horse woman, who never lost her passion for the horses she loved so much.
“She was not one for the limelight, but she loved a winner and she absolutely loved a winning photo and a winning glass of champagne,” said Dianne.
A minute’s silence was held at Carlisle racecourse on 29th August and tribute was paid to her by racecourse announcer Gordon Brown.
“Racing was her life and she was never happier than when welcoming Detective (trained by Dianne and owned by Arthur) into the winners’ enclosure at Carlisle just six days before she died, surrounded by the family she adored,” said Dianne.
“She was actively involved with the training of her horses until the very end. A life well lived.”
Evelyn is survived by husband Arthur Slack, daughter Dianne, who is married to Andrew, daughter-in-law Nicola, grandchildren Joanna, Natalie, Emma, Thomas, George and Anna, plus six great-grandchildren.
Her funeral service took place at St John’s Church, Murton.
If desired, donations in memory of Evelyn will be given to Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland, and may be sent c/o Glyn Jones Funeral Directors, Battlebarrow, Appleby, who had charge of the arrangements.
