Middleham is the archetypal racing town.

Nearly a third of its adult population depends on the sport for employment. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson reports on how the impact of the downturn in the economy is being felt.

IF you’re going to write a feature about the horse racing community, you might as well start in the pub.

Chances are – you’ll only end up there anyway.

The pub in question on this occasion is The Black Bull, in the Market Place, in Middleham, long known as the hub of the town’s racing fraternity.

There have been more tips passed on in here down the years than in all of London’s fancy restaurants put together, so if you’re looking for an idea of horse racing’s importance to Middleham’s infrastructure, it’s not exactly a bad place to start.

And a welcoming pint of ale doesn’t exactly do any harm either.

Chris Goodwin is the landlady and, with the annual Middleham Open Day just around the corner, the publican is only too aware of how closely the fortunes of Middleham as a town mirror the fortunes of the racing world.

“The Black Bull is basically the village boozer,” she said.

“So, during the winter months, the stable lads are my bread and butter. It’s inconceivable that the Black Bull would survive without the stables.

“We pick up a bit of tourist trade during the summer, but nothing like enough to rely on. I would say I have three regulars who don’t work in the racing industry.

“Everybody else is tied in to racing, and I wouldn’t be the only person in the town like that.”

As the chairman of the Middleham Trainers’ Association, leading trainer James Bethell knows all about racing’s importance to Middleham’s infrastructure.

Just as the likes of Bethell, Karl Burke, Micky Hammond and Mark Johnston rely on the support of Middleham’s businesses and institutions, so Middleham as a community relies on the continued success of the racing world. It is hard to imagine one surviving without the other.

“I would say that you’re talking about 200 to 250 people being directly employed in racing out of a population of about 800,” said Bethell. “Someone like Mark Johnston would probably employ up to 100 people on his own, so you’re talking about a major part of Middleham’s population being employed by one of the yards.

“And that’s only direct employment. That’s not taking account of the pubs or shops that rely on people having money in their pockets to spend. Feed that into the equation, and you’re talking about racing being the major employer in this part of the world.”

The situation has proved mutually beneficial ever since Isaac Cape became one of the first professional trainers to set up in the Middleham area in the 1760s, but it is not without its risks.

And as horseracing begins to feel the effect of the global recession, the fear is that any negative impact on the sport will be felt even more sharply in Middleham.

“It’s a worry,” admitted Ms Goodwin. “I don’t think we’ve seen the full effects of the recession yet, but we’re starting to notice a few changes.

“There have already been one or two lads laid off because there’s just not the rides to go around, and that obviously effects how much they’re able to spend with us.

People don’t seem to have quite as much money to spend any more, and the fear is obviously that things could get worse before they get better.”

The fear is shared by Bethell, who admits that racing’s reliance on nonessential expenditure, whether from owners, spectators or punters, makes it particularly vulnerable to an economic downturn.

“I fear it’s going to have a very big impact,” he said.

“I’m already finding it very difficult to find new owners who are willing to go into racing. I think it’s going to become more and more difficult to attract new people in.

“I’ve also never had as many people ringing me up looking for work, and I know Mark Johnston would say exactly the same. He’s never had as many talented people ringing up out of the blue asking if there’s anything going spare. It’s a worry because it’s difficult to predict what’s going to happen in the future.”

Yet, while times are uncertain, Bethell is confident that both racing and Middleham will survive with their heart and soul intact.

“We’ve been through tough times before,” he said. “And that’s when the community tends to rally together. We’re a very closely-knit group here in Middleham, and if anyone can keep going, I’m sure we will.

“The racing world is a small world, and it tries to look after everyone within it.

As trainers, we’re very conscious of how important racing is to Middleham. It has been in the past, and it will be in the future.”

Ms Goodwin shares his optimism, and says Middleham’s resilience is a reflection of the character of the racing world.

“If you’re going to make it in racing, you have to be tough,” she said. “Horses win and horses lose, but people accept you have to take that in your stride.

“It’s a youthful industry, and young people will be young people won’t they?

They’ll always find a way to get by.”