Librarian to Horse Trainer- Meet Lancashire’s most successful trainer

Stella Barclay is Lancashire’s most successful racehorse trainer but not many people know that she spent 20 years juggling a job at Darwen Library, whilst pursuing her dream of becoming a trainer.

Stella was granted her trainers license seven years ago, following years of hard work and dedication.

After going to the races with her father, Stella and her sister helped out at a nearby farm, which Stella credits with spurning her love for horses.

Recalling her early years, Stella said: “When my sister and I were younger he [Stella’s Father] always took us racing. It started off as a hobby but then it became a way of life really, you become obsessed with it

“A local trainer had a small yard and he’d allow us to go around and help out.

“So, from nine years old I was sitting on racehorses. With no safety gear back then or anything like that, can you believe? We just had a good time really, we learnt how to muck out and all the basics of how to look after racehorses.”

Stella and her late husband Paul bought the yard in 1989 and have spent the last 40 years growing it. something that Stella is very proud of, saying: “When we bought this place, it was just a bungalow on a field so we’ve built it all from scratch.

“Now we’ve got 40 horses and extensive facilities, including our own gallops. Which is really phenomenal that we’ve managed to do this because we didn’t have a lot of money. We just worked hard.

“So, it just grew from there. From very small roots and it just happened. We never planned anything much it just all fell into place.

“By managing to do that we had pretty much transformed a hobby into a business,” Stella said with a smile.

Stella’s hard-work has led her to some of racing’s biggest stages.

“We bought a horse from the sales at Doncaster, for a few thousand, he was a gorgeous chestnut colt. He was good enough that we took him to Dubai for one of their big meetings.

“That was special, we were really well treated by the authorities over there and for a stable like us, to have a runner in Dubai. It’s magical really.”

Stella and her team enjoyed a fine season, last year, having sixteen winners but they’ve started this season off in flying form, already having seven winners from 36 runners.

Stella’s love for the game and its stars is evident. Her story with her beloved husband shows the very best of racing. Growing from a bungalow to a fully-fledged, working stable, while juggling a job in a library, Stella is an inspiration for trainers across the country, putting her staff and horses above anything. Thankfully for racing and the county itself, this incredible Lancastrian story still continues.