Tributes paid after death of renowned talent scout Michael Stroud

The National Hunt industry has lost one of its most popular, not to mention successful, figures with the death on Tuesday of renowned Northern Ireland-based talent scout Michael Stroud at the age of 86.

Stroud, a farmer by trade, sourced many top-class jumpers for associates and friends such as Nigel Twiston-Davies, Kim Bailey, Nicky Henderson, Mark Bradstock and the late David Nicholson, notably the Grand National hero Bindaree and Cheltenham Festival scorers such as Fundamentalist and Simonsig.

Twiston-Davies said on Thursday: "I wouldn't be here today without him because he found Bindaree for us and kept me going when things were bad. He bought me Beau and lots of other nice horses. He was a great friend and a great bloke."

Bailey paid tribute to Stroud on his blog, writing: “Michael was one of my most favourite men. I used to spend hours and days with him driving all over Ireland looking at and buying horses with him. [He was] a real gent who was hugely loved and immensely popular.

“The best horse he bought, or rather the most famous one, was Grand National Bindaree for Raymond Mould. Every horse I bought with him won. That is a fine record.

“We last saw Michael when we were over in Northern Ireland and The Last Samuri ran there. He will be hugely missed.”

Henderson, who trained Simonsig to win the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle and the Arkle at Cheltenham, echoed those sentiments by saying: "He was a great friend and we had some wonderful times together. He was an absolutely magnificent man and it's very sad. We had some enormous good fun."

Stroud is survived by his wife Hillary, son Anthony, daughter Jacqueline and grandchildren.

Anthony Stroud, a prominent bloodstock agent, remembered his father as “a larger than life personality who was passionate about racing and would scour point-to-points from the north of Ireland to the south to find good horses”.

The funeral service is taking place at 2pm on Tuesday at the Church of the Ascension in Annahilt, Hillsborough, followed by interment.