John Tapp Racing

There was one common thread among the hundreds of tributes paid to Ross Stitt after his recent retirement. Unequivocally, friends and fellow horsemen agreed that the 83 year old had been an ornament to his profession as a man and a professional horse trainer. I’d like to add my sentiments by plucking from the archives an interview we recorded with Ross almost six years ago. He was in reminiscent mood on the day, and took us on a nostalgic journey through his life with horses. Ross began by reflecting on childhood days on the family dairy farm in the Manning Valley. He was milking the cows from age 9 before going to school. He says showjumping was his first equine passion, and it appears he was pretty adept at the sport. Ross recalls that his first thoroughbred idol was the legendary broodmare Dark Jewel. He formed the attachment simply because he had a show jumper called “Jewel” at the time. It’s not widely known that Ross Stitt could easily have pursued a career in harness racing. His earliest tutor was trot