Lockets of hair from 850 racehorses fetch thousands at auction

Posted by author November 14, 2024 Horse Racing

Spread the love

Graham Budd Auctions A scrapbook containing seven lockets of dark horse hair, much of it plaited. Each little pocket contains a locket of hair and a piece of paper, with the details of the horse it belonged to and the date it was cut on it. — Locks of hair from 13 Cheltenham Gold Cup winners feature in the lot of 850 lockets

A scrapbook collection including lockets of hair from the manes and tails of famous racehorses has sold for thousands at auction.

The lockets of hair including Shergar and Red Rum was sold for £41,870 at the National Horse Racing Museum on Wednesday.

The 1948 Cheltenham Gold Cup trophy, won by Cottage Rake, also sold for £26,000.

The auction was arranged to raise funds for the Bob Champion Cancer Fund, The Injured Jockeys Fund, and Racing Welfare.

Hair from Shergar, Red Rum, Arkle, Nijinsky, and other champion thoroughbreds, collected by enthusiast Ray Goddard between 1948 and 2004 were included in the locket collection.

It was believed Shergar – valued at £10m – was taken by the IRA in 1983, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding.

The body of Shergar was never found, and it is unknown what actually happened to him following the kidnapping.

The solid gold cup was one lot sold at the “Race to History” auction on Wednesday

Graham Budd Auctions A solid gold cup trophy from the 1940s. The cup is quite bulbous, and the handles are two horse's heads, wearing bridles. The rim of the trophy is fluted. — The solid gold cup was one lot sold at the “Race to History” auction on Wednesday

“Collecting locks of horse hair might seem like an unusual pastime, but it’s provided us with an incredible archive, featuring some of the most famous horses the racing world has seen,” auctioneer Graham Budd explained.

“It tells a wonderful story of half a century of racing history.

“We’re fortunate to be selling several lots in aid of some great charities, which have a huge impact in the racing world and beyond,” he added.

“We’ve had plenty of interest from around the world, so we’re in a good position to raise a lot of money for these good causes.”