The story, so Jonno Balding has always been told, is that when the late Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the family stables at Kingsclere to inspect her horses, a four-year-old Jonno shuffled up to Her Majesty and enquired curiously: ‘Where’s your crown?’
Balding, now 19 and a towering 6ft 9in second row for Gloucester and England’s Under 20s, saw her two days later at Newbury for Greenham Weekend. ‘She was wearing one of those headscarves she always wore,’ Balding tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘Apparently, she asked me: “Is that any better?”’
Royal encounters such as this were to be expected for the infant Balding because, as the name suggests, he comes from serious sporting stock.
He’s the nephew of British broadcasting icon Clare. His father Andrew succeeded his own father Ian as the licensed trainer at Kingsclere, the family stables, that have long held the horses for the late Queen and Queen Mother.
Aubrey Hastings, his great-great-grandfather, trained three Grand National winners. His great-grandfather Gerald played polo for Britain.
‘The Queen always used to come and see our horses in the spring, usually before the Greenham Week,’ adds Balding. ‘It was always a big deal for everyone at the yard. I remember cleaning the gates and sweeping the drive.’
Jonno Balding, nephew of Clare and from horse racing royalty, is now a second row for Gloucester and England’s Under 20s
At the darts world championships with Clare (centre) and his father Andrew (right), trainer of the late Queen’s horses
Balding met King Charles at Ascot last year, there to watch his horse King’s Lynn run in the Schweppes Handicap. Balding spent his childhood wearing Manchester United shirts bought for him by racing enthusiast Sir Alex Ferguson, whose horses also resided at Kingsclere.
‘Much to Dad’s disgust,’ laughs Balding. ‘We’re big Southampton fans in our family, it didn’t amuse Dad to see all three of his kids walking around in United kit!’
It was his grandfather Ian, the legendary trainer, who passed away in January, whose footsteps Balding wishes to follow. Ian played 92 times for Bath and would have played more had it not been for his training duties.
Balding is in the England Under 20s training squad for the Six Nations, but has not made a matchday squad in the opening three rounds. He found his love for rugby at Radley School under Gloucester’s professional-era record appearance-holder Nick Wood.
Balding is yet to make a senior appearance for Gloucester, playing most of his rugby at Bristol University as he continues to develop, but has set his sights on the Junior World Championship in Georgia in June.
He signed his first professional contract last year and had a national treasure on hand to make sure everything was in order.
‘Clare’s been a great support,’ says Balding. ‘If I ever have any questions, she’s a good person to talk to, whether it’s contracts or things like that. She’s good for reading through them because she’s done a fair share of that!’
Like millions of others, Balding watched Clare take part in the first series of Celebrity Traitors late last year. Like millions of others, too, he couldn’t believe his eyes when his aunt prematurely pulled a lever during an early task that locked the contestants out of the mission.
Balding found his love for rugby at Radley School and is on the brink of breaking into Gloucester’s first team
Balding was recently named in the England Under 20s training squad for the Six Nations
‘Oh God,’ he says and lets out a sigh. ‘She’s had a lot of abuse from us for that. She was… confident, wasn’t she? She can be quite sure of herself, she’s confident, so when she got it wrong she suddenly become very quiet and that was quite amusing!’
She’s a decent Christmas present giver, mind. ‘Aftershave every year, me and Tobes (brother Toby), for the last four years. This year it was Tom Ford.’
Balding, his dad and Clare were all pictured together at the World Darts Championship over the festive period. ‘We go quite a bit, I love the darts,’ says Balding. ‘Dad used to go when it was back at the Circus Tavern before it was a big deal. It’s amazing what they’ve done turning it into a world-famous sport.
‘We saw Gary Anderson. I’m glad he made a bit of a resurgence because he’s pretty cool. I was hoping to see someone else win this year other than Luke Littler. I was a big Justin Hood fan for three weeks of my Christmas!’
We’ve pulled up chairs at a table at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium after training. You can’t miss him. Balding was 5ft 11in by the time he was 12, 6fit 3in by 13. He was more of a cricketer until then. ‘I just kept growing,’ he says. ‘I think I’m done now.’
His next goal is to pile on the pounds. Less protein, he says, more carbs. Lots of pasta. He’s in the gym ‘quite a bit’. For a lad that’s only just turned 19, he has a remarkably mature head on his shoulders. He knows he’s on a long road, one longer than others among his peers.
‘For people in my position, it’s a game of developing,’ he says. ‘I’m definitely not the finished article but I’d like to see a bit of improvement week on week, year on year. If I’m pushed before I’m physically ready that can lead to injuries, poor form, stuff like that. It’s better just to get it right and make it a slower process.
With his father Andrew on King George Day at Ascot last July. Andrew’s father Ian was also a trainer, and played 92 times for Bath
He has his sights set on winning the rugby World Cup, but then sees himself going into the family business of training
‘There are different paths for different players. There are players like Will Knight here, who is a really talented guy my age and he’s been on an accelerated path and doing great, has played in the Prem. People like me, the path is a bit slower but hopefully we end up in the same place just at different times.’
He puts much of that patience down to his family’s life in horse racing.
‘If we have a good year, a quarter of our horses will win,’ he says. ‘Seventy-five per cent of the time, we’re disappointed. I think learning to take defeat or things not going your way, it’s an important lesson for professional sport and dealing with the ups and downs.’
Balding was one of five Gloucester players called up to the England Under 20s squad alongside centre Knight, back row Olly Allport, fellow lock Freddie Ogden-Metherell and prop Harry Wright.
‘That’s the great thing about being in a club like this, if you are prepared to work hard, be patient and take your opportunities when they come, they will be there.’
He’s back off to Bristol once we’re done to continue his freshers year studies in politics and international relations. A few of his friends have already been pulled in for meetings about using AI to write their essays.
Quite the time, we suggest, to have an interest in international relations, with what’s going on in America with Donald Trump. So, what is the general view of the student population of the current state of the world?
‘It differs quite a bit,’ he says. ‘There’s some strongly-felt debates between the students. Some of them are very passionate. That’s good. There are both sides of the spectrum. I take more of a backseat role. I’m more of a note taker!’
Balding’s grandfather Ian, the legendary trainer of the 1971 Epsom Derby winner Mill Reef, passed away in January after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
Balding was one of five Gloucester players called up to the England Under 20s squad this year
‘There were some lovely obituaries in the papers and that was really nice,’ says Balding. ‘He’d been ill for quite a long time. He’d had a great life. He was a great man. With Alzheimer’s you grow distant towards the end but, as a young boy, I was very close with him.’
Balding is only at the start of his rugby journey and would love to win the World Cup with England one day – ‘that’s the dream, isn’t it?’ – but, like his grandfather, he too sees himself going into the other side of the family business one day.
‘I love going back home and watching the horses,’ says Balding. ‘I’ll get up with dad on a Saturday morning, watch them do their exercises. I’d still like to go into it because rugby isn’t going to be a career forever.’
A trainer, too, perhaps? ‘Definitely not as a jockey!’
