Sally Taylor: The Quiet Hero Behind Old Gold Racing's Horses

By popular request, we are introducing you to Sally Taylor, who looks after many of the Old Gold Racing horses when they're on holiday or rehabbing!

If you’ve been following Old Gold Racing for a while, chances are that you've come across the name 'Sally Taylor'.

The story of any racehorse includes many vital chapters set away from the racecourse. For the Old Gold Racing string, this often involves a sojourn at Sally Taylor's yard in Oxfordshire. An experienced event rider and skilled horsewoman, Sally is as comfortable playing equine holiday rep as she is managing rehab and pretraining programmes.

Who is Sally Taylor?

Sally's involvement with Old Gold Racing was as unplanned as most things in life: she began her career buying young event horses from Ireland and developing them into competitive eventers. Initially she was successful, with some promising horses on her roster. However, as is so often the case in equine sports, the setbacks soon started mounting up: injuries, the rising cost of sourcing horses, and an increasingly tedious sales process meant Sally found herself falling out of love with it.

“I think I just hit a point where it was getting harder and harder,” she explains. “You’d put in all the effort, get somewhere with a horse, and then—bang—it’s over because of an injury. It’s not unlike racing in that way.”

Sally considered stepping away altogether. Her plan was to keep a horse or two of her own and help her brother on the farm, where he makes hay and haylage. But fate had other ideas. She had met Dan Downie and Darrell Scaife of Owners Group through her eventing connections, and when their go-to person for holidaying and rehabilitating horses moved to America, Sally got the call...

“At first I was like, ‘I don’t know... maybe just send a couple and we’ll see how it goes,’” she recalls. “But it went mental. Suddenly I had horses from Axom, Elite Racing, all sorts.”

And she loved it. The process of rehabbing and pre-training horses really appealed to her. Drawing on her experience with eventers, she introduced a more holistic approach to rebuilding strength—emphasizing conditioning way beyond just galloping.

“I started cross-training them like you would with human athletes. A runner doesn’t just run—they do other training to support the main discipline. That’s what I tried to bring to the racehorses, with the help of Buffy too, who’s really passionate about making sure horses are strong and balanced all over.”

That phase continued until Owners Group sold the champion mare Marsha for 6.3 million guineas and set up a farm of their own. Luckily she had other clients like Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, who continued to send their horses to her for rest, recuperation and rehab.

Her connection with Old Gold Racing was equally organic. Buffy suggested sending Braquer D'Or - a horse co-owned by Old Gold Racing CEO, Ed Seyfried - to Sally for a final round of rehabilitation.

“I suppose it just grew from that. I’m fairly local, so it works well. Everyone’s nearby, and you can just pop in to check the horses—make sure they’re all still here and behaving themselves,” she says with a smile, nodding towards a horse who ogles us shyly over the stable door.

It’s clear that for Sally, this isn’t just a job—it’s something she genuinely enjoys. “It’s not always predictable with the number of horses coming and going, but that’s part of it. I still love working with them.”

A Home Away from the Track

When our racehorses need a break from training or racing, they go to Sally. Her yard offers them a calm place to rest while also keeping them active and strong.

The horses can also satisfy their social inclinations, with many of them forming friendships while spending time together in her fields and stables.

Sally tailors each horse’s routine to their needs, using hill work, hacking, pole exercises, and more. This helps improve their strength, balance, and overall health without the stress of racing.

When the horses return to their trainers, they’re not just rested—they’re stronger, fitter, and ready to get straight back into full work. Trainers love how much time and effort this saves. It means the horses are better prepared for the work ahead and less likely to get injured.

Helping Horses Heal

Injuries are a harsh reality of racing. Sally works closely with vets and physios to follow a recovery plan, always listening to the horse and adjusting as needed. It's a quiet, thoughtful approach that makes a huge difference.

She uses her facilities—and her experience—to build the horse back up slowly and safely. Her aim is to get them not just healed, but strong and ready to return to racing.

Charlie Longsdon on working with Sally Taylor…

“We have 3 horses with Old Gold Racing, they all attend Sally Taylor for their rest/holiday, we never have anything but compliments for their condition when they return in. She works incredibly hard getting them in the best condition possible to return to training. Sally also did plenty of rehab work with Big City Roller when returning back from injury which was vital for his early start in training which led him on to winning by 26 lengths with us!”

Knowing the Horses Inside and Out

Sally always makes the effort to understand the personality of each of the horses she works with: their likes and dislikes, their quirks and qualities. This knowledge allows her to develop bespoke plans for each horse and to keep them at ease.

With Sally, the horses know what to expect, which is especially important if they're congenitally nervous or have moved between yards a lot. That calm, familiar presence always helps to reduce stress and smooth over any further transitions.

Eventing Experience Makes the Difference

Sally’s background in eventing gives her a unique set of skills. She knows how to build strength, posture, and balance—all things that help protect a horse’s body and extend their racing career.

Her approach focuses on slow, careful development rather than rushing into fast work. She’s also very good at spotting early signs of discomfort, helping to prevent small problems from becoming big ones.

The Unsung Hero

In racing, the spotlight often falls on the jockeys and trainers. But behind every successful horse is a team of dedicated people—and Sally is one of them.

Her hard work often happens far from the racetrack, but it has a huge impact. Whether a horse is returning from injury, enjoying a break, or learning the basics, she's helping shape their future.

Success Stories

When asked about her favourite success stories, Sally doesn’t hesitate—there are a few standouts among the many Old Gold Racing horses that have passed through her gates, but one name rises to the top.

“Gordon definitely has to be up there,” she says. “He came to me with a slightly obscure injury—not one of your standard leg problems—and he needed a fair bit of time. Luckily, time was on his side. He’s a big horse, so the break helped him not just heal, but also physically mature.”

That patience paid off. When Gordon returned to the track, he didn’t just participate—he dominated.

“To see him go back and absolutely annihilate the field was just so satisfying. That’s the kind of day that reminds you why you do this.”

Gordon’s back again now, enjoying another well-earned break. “Lucky for him it stopped raining,” Sally laughs, “so he got out of running again!”

She also holds a soft spot for DancingOnTheEdge, a filly who has shown real grit throughout a career peppered with small setbacks.

“She’s had her fair share of niggles—little bits and bobs that haven’t always gone her way—but every time she gets to the racecourse, she shows up and gives her best. I really admire that consistency and attitude.”

At the time of writing, Sally has ten Old Gold Racing horses on the farm—the most she’s ever had at once.

“I’m happy with however many want to come,” she says warmly. “What I especially love is when one comes back. They might have come here for rehab, gone back into training, and now they’re returning for a holiday. The moment they step off the lorry, you can see it—they recognise the place.”

There’s something deeply rewarding in those quiet reunions.

“They just relax. It’s like they take a deep breath, have a lie down, and settle straight back in. It’s lovely to see them so content. That sense of familiarity—it’s special.”

Sally’s Words

"I love being part of their journey," she says. "Seeing a horse you’ve worked with go back to racing and do well—it’s the best feeling. Even though I’m not at the track, I still feel proud every time."

And that pride, built on care, patience, and passion, is why Sally Taylor is such a valued part of the Old Gold Racing family.