Red Rum - Early Life

Early Life

Red Rum was bred at Rossenarra stud in Kells, County Kilkenny, Ireland, by Martyn McEnery. His sire was Quorum (1954-?), and his dam Mared. McEnery gave Red Rum his name by taking the last three letters of the names of his dam and sire respectively. Bred to win one-mile races, he won his National titles over the longest distance, four miles and four furlongs. Red Rum started his career running in cheap races as a sprinter and dead-heated in a five-furlong flat race at Aintree Racecourse. In his early career, he was once ridden by Lester Piggott and comedian Lee Mack, then a stable boy who had his first riding lesson on Red Rum. After being passed from training yard to training yard, he found his footing when Southport car dealer Ginger McCain bought him for his client Noel le Mare and famously trained the horse on the sands at Southport, Merseyside, England. Galloping through sea water may have proved highly beneficial to Red Rum’s feet. McCain reportedly took Red Rum for a therapeutic swim in the sea off Southport before his first National appearances to help treat the horse's pedal osteitis, a debilitating incurable bone disease in his foot. McCain also won the Grand National in 2004 with Amberleigh House, 31 years after his first victory with Red Rum.