A HORSEMAN famous in racing circles for the stallions he bred and trained has died aged 87.

David Muir, known as Ian Muir, set up Fawley Farm, near Wantage, which became Fawley Stud in the early 1950s. It was one of the largest of its kind in England at the time.

Mr Muir stood up to five stallions – making them available for breeding – and foaled some 90 mares each season and was well respected in the Lambourn Valley, with a reputation for taming troublesome beasts.

During his career of seven decades, he bred a number of prize-winning racehorses, including the 1969 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner What A Myth, which remains the oldest to have ever won, at 12 years old.

He also bred Destroyer, which in 1985 won the Sandown Henry II Stakes.

In later years he founded North Farm Stud on the former site of Fawley Stud, where his wife Agnes and daughter Grace, who also runs racehorse re-homing charity Heros, also work. His son, William, is a horse trainer with the Lambourn Trainers Association.

David John Muir was born in Combe on April 19, 1927, to parents James and Grace (nee McKnight). He had one sister, Margaret, who predeceased him.

His parents worked at Fawley Farm, but when Mr Muir was 17 years old his father was killed in a car crash and he took over the management.

In the 1940s he met his wife, Agnes (nee Agnew) and on October 28, 1948, they married, before setting up Fawley Stud together.

Their first child, Anne, was born in 1949, followed by Adam in 1953, Iain in 1954, William in 1958 and Grace in 1965.

He was a good friend of British thoroughbred horse trainer Ryan Price, also a mentor of his, who was to buy What A Myth, aged three, from Mr Muir.

What A Myth was the foal of dam What A Din and sire Coup de Myth.

He had claimed What A Din to settle a bad debt of £28-10s and Coup de Myth had been given to him after it failed a vetting.

What A Myth went on in 1966 to first win the Mildmay Memorial Chase at Liverpool and then the Whitbread Gold Cup, before going on to claim the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1969.

Destroyer, which during its career came third in the Ascot Gold Cup behind Gildoran and Longboat, was out of one of his own mares, Mary Green, who Mr Muir had bred at Fawley Stud. She had also been ridden to victory by son William on two occasions.

Another notorious stallion of his was Supreme Sovereign, known as “Silver” to friends.

Although it was a family favourite, the Irish horse was treated with extreme caution after putting several staff in hospital and even Mr Muir’s farrier refused to shoe him.

Mr Muir fed the stallion with a rasp attached to a pole over the many years he spent at the stud.

In 1982 he sold Fawley Stud and then spent seven years obtaining the necessary planning permission to convert the farm to North Farm Stud, established in 1989. It is now managed by his daughter Grace.

Over the years he continued to be respected for his expertise, particularly in foaling mares, with one vet joking he rarely worried if he was called out “as if he couldn’t work it out, then I sure as hell couldn’t either”.

Mr Muir died on May 7, after a long period of illness. He is survived by his wife and five children.

A funeral service at North Farm Stud was held on May 15.

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