Rick Nichols
As vice-president and general manager of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Shadwell Farm, it is hard to believe that Rick Nichols's equine career began only after being fired from a hog farm.
Nichols spent his youth in Texas among ranch hands and rodeos and bought his first horse at the age of thirteen. It wasn’t long after that he began cultivating dreams of working as a veterinarian. Life and world events derailed that dream, as Nichols was drafted for the Vietnam War. After his release from the Army, Nichols moved to Independence, Kansas where he found himself working for a veterinarian on a hog farm, though that the job was short lived.
With hog and show horse experience on his resume, Nichols’s sights were still set on the racetrack. He attributes his big break to Dr. Robert Leonard, who, according to Nichols is, “the second greatest horseman” he ever knew. Nichols, whose veterinary interests and skills were in artificial insemination, learned a great deal from Dr. Leonard, who also specialized in the subject. Ultimately it’d be through Dr. Leonard that Nichols found his way to Kentucky and began working for Leslie Combs II as a broodmare manager at Spendthrift Farm.
When Nichols began working for Sheikh Hamdan, the second son of Sheikh Rashid and the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Shadwell farm consisted of 720 acres. Hamdan grew the farm, purchasing neighboring parcels and soon the farm grew more to than 1,300 acres, its present-day size. In addition to Shadwell Farm, he owns farms in England and Ireland.
Nichols, who was closely involved in the barn designs for Shadwell, said that their inspiration for the farm’s design came from the desire to preserve the land for the land’s sake. “…the land was so beautiful and so good that being a farm, we wanted people to be able to appreciate the land and not be overwhelmed by the structures.” The farm’s wooden barns were modeled off a barn that George Widener built for Elmendorf in 1903.
Standout horses of Shadwell Farm:
Nashwan, 1986
Blushing Groom (FR) – Height of Fashion (FR), by Bustino (GB)
A member of the first crop of foals born and raised at Shadwell Farm, Nashwan is considered one of racing's best three-year-olds. Trained by Dick Hern and ridden by Willie Carson, he won both his starts at two. He demonstrated his brilliance in a now legendary spring gallop, Nashwan became a Shadwell favorite when he made his debut in the English Two Thousand Guineas-G1.
Named Champion three-year-old in England and France, NASHWAN sired some 40 stakes winners at stud. His top runners include six-time champion: Swain (six-time champion and winner of eight stakes including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S.-G1), Bago (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-G1), Wandesta (Matriarch S -G1), One So Wonderful (Juddmonte International-G1), Myself, Naiah, and Nashatara. He died in 2002 and the stallion complex at Shadwell Farm is named in his honor.
Text adapted from Shadwell Farm History
Dayjur, 1987
Danzig – Gold Beauty, by Mr. Prospector
Bred in Kentucky by Georgia Hofmann, Dayjur was purchased at Keeneland July by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum for $1.65 million. He was trained by Major R. W. (Dick) Hern and won seven races and finished second three times from 11 starts. Dubbed “the fastest horse in the world” by the Racing Post, Dayjur was the Horse of the Year, Champion Sprinter, and Champion 3-Year-Old in England in 1990, and was the Top Weight in Europe and Champion 3-Year-Old in France.
He set a course record winning the Keeneland Nunthorpe S.-G1, won the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp-G1 by daylight under 137 pounds, went wire-to-wire in the Ladbroke Sprint Cup-G1, and won Royal Ascot's King's Stand S.-G2. One of his most memorable performances came in the Breeders' Cup Sprint-G1 when he appeared to be on his way to victory, but jumped a shadow deep in the stretch and finished second.
He sired three champions, 30 stakes winners and more than 60 stakes horses. Dayjur retired to stud at Shadwell Farm in 1991 and died in 2013 at the age of 26.
Text adapted from the Paulick Report
Salsabil, 1987
Sadler’s Wells – Flame of Tara (IRE), by Artaius
Purchased by Shadwell as a yearling for $800,000, Salsabil quickly rewarded her owners. Her three-year-old season was one for the record books, as she opened it with a wins at: the Fred Darling, the One Thousand Guineas, the Epsom Oaks, and Longchamp in the Prix Vermeille. Her signature moment came at The Curragh. The only filly entered in a field that included Epsom Derby-G1 winner Quest for Fame, Salsabil maneuvered through traffic then took the lead to win the Irish Derby by three-quarters of a length -- making her the first filly to win in ninety years. She was second in the balloting to Shadwell runner Dayjur for English Horse of the Year. She produced five foals, including stakes winners Bint Salsabil and Alabaq. She died in 1996 and is buried at Shadwell.
Text adapted from Shadwell Farm History
Jazil, 2003
Seeking the Gold – Better than Honour, by Deputy Minister
Purchased by Shadwell for $725,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September Sale, Jazil quickly jumped on to the national racing scene. He finished second in the Wood Memorial, a performance that made him a horse to watch. Jazil was trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.
A son of Seeking the Gold, Jazil was out of Broodmare-of-the-Year Better Than Honour. Jazil retired to Shadwell in 2008 and sired four crops of racing age, with 51 winners and more than $3 million in progeny earnings. His top domestic runners include Najjaar, Farhaan, and Jasizzle. Jazil died in 2014.
Text adapted from Shadwell Farm History
Resources:
Bolus, Jim. "The Maktoum Brothers." Keeneland Magazine, October 1989, pp. 7-23.
Melcher, Richard. "The Four Horseman of the Monopoly?" Business Week, July 16, 1990, pp. 70.