Born in Somerset, Martin Pipe was connected to horse racing from an early age, though not in the same way many jockeys and trainers are.
His father David was a successful bookmaker in the West Country, who owned and managed over 40 betting shops, so Pipe was constantly in and amongst the excitement of the sport.
That part of England has always had a rich horse racing history and for years it was the primary sport in terms of betting and often attracted many punters.
Following his graduation from Queen’s College in Taunton, Pipe moved into the family business and managed several of his father’s betting shops, learning everything there was to know about the commercial side of the sport in particular; becoming accustomed to odds and different markets.
As he began to pursue his own passions, Pipe initially focused on becoming a jockey, starting as an amateur, though after only winning one race, decided to concentrate solely on training.
His father had converted a derelict pig farm in Nicholashayne, which became Pond House Stables and Pipe’s headquarters.
Early Career In Training
Receiving his training license in 1974, he went into the profession with very little ‘hands-on’ experience, as such, finding it challenging at first. After a lot of hard work combined with trial and error, his first win came in May 1975, with the horse Hit Parade in a selling hurdle at Taunton.
After 14 seasons of continual work, Pipe was crowned Champion Trainer, though there were some early signs that this might eventually happen. The first major one came in 1981 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, when he masterminded the 66/1 victory with the horse Baron Blakeney.
Constantly learning, Pipe was essentially ‘self-taught’ and always sought knowledge, reading voraciously and studying industry-revered books including Modern Horse Management. Pipe even attended horse dissections to fully understand the anatomy and physiology of horses. This would lay the foundation for what was to follow.
Pipe’s Revolutionary Methods
Pipe has often been credited with helping to turn the sport from a ‘gentlemanly’ though often ‘amateurish’ sport into a more data-driven discipline; his experience as a bookmaker undoubtedly also having an influence.
Key to this was his introduction of interval training whereby he would train horses over short, high energy bursts and steep gallops which helped to dramatically improve their stamina, compared to long, steady treks that many of his rivals favoured.
Pipe also set somewhat of a precedent with the facilities he used. Utilising modern tools such as equine swimming pools to aid horses’ recoveries, Pipe also developed a reputation for the fitness of the horses he trained. Essentially, they were lean and wiry, which enabled them to invariably run aggressively at a faster pace over longer distances.
Between the 1988/89 and 2004/05 seasons, he was crowned Champion Trainer on 15 occasions, only losing out twice; establishing further testimony to his training methods.
Retiring in 2006 due to health issues, Pipe trained 4,180 European winners, including 34 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, while his only Grand National victory came in 1994 with the horse Minnehoma.
Without a doubt, Pipe left his mark on the sport and trainers like Paul Nicholls have often credited their success to his scientific methods and detailed blueprint.