AFTER a long illness, Jim (James Watson) Burgess of Ballygraffan, Comber died peacefully last Tuesday week.

A chartered surveyor by profession, Jim was very successful in business, handling the Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ land and property development for approximately 30 years. He was behind the Waterfront Hall, Odyssey Arena and many other landmark buildings in Belfast, Dublin and England and was also the top Fund Manager in the United Kingdom for handling the Government pension scheme (NILGOSC).

In his youth, Jim excelled in sports being Ulster schoolboy champion at tennis and squash while his masters at school fought over him for the hockey and cricket teams because he was the best player at both. Later in life, he played golf off a handicap of five and ran three marathons: Boston, London and New York. He ran the last of these on his 40th birthday and climbed the Matterhorn for his 50th!

Jim met his wife June, the international event rider, businesswoman and equine assisted leadership facilitator, through a development at Clarendon Dock, Belfast in the mid-1990s. She relates how, having spent his life up until that point in smart suits and cufflinks in boardrooms, the man she describes as an “unbelievably brilliant husband” fell in love with the countryside, horses and dogs.

“When we bought Ballygraffan, there was just a house but, bit by bit, Jim acquired land, creating a perfect environment for horses, dogs and me. He did everything correctly – he wanted the best and safest. When Jim wasn’t working, he had his jeans and wellies on and was down the fields with the dogs or doing something on the farm; he loved being outdoors.”

Jim’s introduction to the competitive equestrian world came through showing which he very much enjoyed, largely because Richard Iggulden made it such fun and bantered with him non-stop.

“One of Jim’s highlights was when Whats What (by Ricardo Z), who had been second the previous August, won his five-year-old class at Dublin on the Wednesday which resulted in wild celebrations. Jim himself groomed for Richard when it came to the lightweight championship in the Main Arena the following morning.

“Whats What had been bought as a three-year-old along with two other horses on a round Ireland road trip with Richard where we laughed from start to finish. Jim ended up negotiating on a yearling and began offering more than the asking price which completely confused the seller who started dropping the price!”

At one stage, Jim decided to buy a dressage horse who he named after his motto ‘It has to be fun’, the yardstick he measured everything by in life. Like everything Jim was involved in, the horse Has To Be Fun (by Welt Hit II), was very successful and made it to Grand Prix.

Banter and kindness

June relates how her husband encouraged her in eventing, accompanying her to events every weekend and to Kernan’s every Thursday.

“He made sure that I had everything I needed which included him spending much of his time holding and leading horses to cool them down. Within no time, everyone in the sport loved him because he lit up the field when he was there, chatting to all and taking the mickey with that incredibly sharp wit which was so quick yet always kind.

“He’d start the morning bantering with Dora (Beacom) and Jean (Mitchell) in the secretary’s caravan and continue to chat to all, old and young, throughout the day. He loved nothing better than a party with wine in the lorry at day’s end.

“It was after a bit too much wine one night that Jim decided to build a cross-country course at Ballygraffan. He knew the pleasure that eventing had brought to me and, in turn, to him and he wanted to put something back into the sport.

“As he never did things by half, he made enquiries about who would be the best course designer and builders available and settled on Hugh Lochore and the Willis brothers.

“That was the start of several amazing years of fun – designing, building and running what became Ballygraffan International Horse Trials. Throughout the construction, we always had ‘beer time’ on a Friday afternoon in the barn and the craic was legendary. Everybody made sure they were there because it was the highlight of the week.

“When the Ballygraffan event was running, Jim would be found holding court in the corporate hospitality tent, attracting all and sundry like a magnet. In his element with people around him and alongside Tommy Brennan, he would keep the banter rolling along.

“When we were in the UK or Europe, Jim usually brought my trainer David Mitchell in the car and, invariably, got the pair of them lost. Caroline Powell tells the story of having to drive miles to allow them to tail her to her yard because she couldn’t laugh any more at Jim’s commentary around trying to find her place.

“Over the years, he became a much-loved figure in British eventing, especially following the friendships gained at Ballygraffan but also at the many other internationals he attended.

“Jim loved Tattersalls, in particular when George Mernagh was alive. I remember on one occasion Jim was asked to judge at Saintfield Show. We all took the mickey about him being asked to judge but George happened to be visiting and when Jim told him that he had been asked, he replied “And why wouldn’t you be?” Jim loved that and liked to tease me that I had never been asked to judge.”

Among the many horses bought by Jim over the years was an Ard Ohio gelding who he purchased as a three-year-old from Tommy Wade. Starting out as a novice here as Over The Vee under Seamus Hayes, then ridden by June, Neil Spratt and Joseph Murphy, Jim was immensely proud when the bay, renamed Mighty Nice, won individual bronze at the Rio Olympics under the USA’s Phillip Dutton.

Taking to the saddle

It transpired that it wasn’t enough for Jim to watch others ride and so, after years of sticking to the ground, he decided to learn himself with the plan being to go hunting for his 60th birthday. June takes up the story.

“We found him Killian, a perfect horse that had been there and done that with Mark Todd. Jim had a crash course on how to ride with Richard Iggulden and you could have sold tickets for the banter between the two. Jim had a couple of pearlers of falls but there was always copious glasses of wine afterwards when he would exaggerate the story of the lesson, blaming Richard for everything!

“However, Jim learnt to ride as quickly as a fearless child and sure enough, was out hunting within a few months. Richard instructed him to stay at the front of the field and Jim jumped everything in sight. Actually, I don’t think he had much say in the matter because Killian knew his job and jumped whatever he was vaguely pointed at but Jim stayed relaxed and went with him every time. He jumped crazy things but his favourite part was regaling the stories afterwards in the pub.”

Burgess always said he knew nothing about horses, that he was a blow-in. However, that was his genius – the blow-in had a keen eye and a knack of throwing in a phrase that was spot-on. When warming up for dressage one day at Tyrella, Trevor Smith shouted over to him, “Hey Jim, how’s it looking?” To which the reply came, “Not bad, just falling out through the shoulder a bit.” Then the eyebrows went up and a cheeky grin appeared on his face.

Loved by all

Of course, Jim loved his dogs and at every event, he could be seen with a clatter of canines in the back of the jeep and they would follow him all day, behaving beautifully. “All our dogs loved him,” said June. “Like people, they gravitated towards him.

“Jim never got cross nor raised his voice and was a gentleman. He was respected by so many for his brilliance, warmth and wit and for someone who said he knew nothing about horses, he had a massive impact on the horse world in Ireland and further afield. Everybody loved him; he brought so much fun.”

A private funeral for Jim Burgess, who was born in Belfast, was held on Thursday. A celebration of his life will be arranged whenever Government restrictions allow. If desired, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society, online at jamesbrownfuneraldirectors.com

M. McL.