Many of you will be familiar with our Major Bar located at the end of the Hummingbird stand, but maybe less so with its reason for being named so. It was opened and named in honour of Major Philip George Verdin, who was Chairman of Hereford Racecourse for 28 years from 1971-1999.
The Major had a distinguished career in the Army under the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Cavalry Regiment. Sent to France in 1939 he was blown up, twice, and nearly died losing an eye and lung amongst other injuries. Once recuperated he had the option to stand down but returned to regiment to train for D-Day. He landed at H Hour + 1. During WWII he was awarded the Military Cross and in 1951 he left the Army on medical advice due to his injuries to lead an outside life, returning to Herefordshire to farm.
In 1975 an unprecedented 14 races took place in one day at Hereford. Unamused, The Jockey Club summoned Major Verdin and then Clerk of the Course Mr Meredith to their London offices to ‘receive any explanation you may care to put forward regarding the necessity for a 14 race programme’. The day was also caricatured in the Daily Mail on 1st May 1975.
In 1997 Major Verdin was awarded an OBE for services to Herefordshire. He passed away peacefully at home in 2007 aged 89.
Comments