Testimonials
Dr. Vivienne M. Tut
-Senior Racecourse Medical Officer.
“I have known James for 15 years and have had the privilege to work alongside him at both Newcastle and Hexham RACECOURSES where I hold the senior doctor position. James is personable, professional and extremely competent at his work.
All his staff respect him, and he heads his teams very well. He rarely gets flustered and will usually find a solution to a problem in a calm and relaxed manner.
James will be an asset for anyone he works for and I wish him all the best as he embarks on the next chapter of his life as a freelance clerk.”
Michael Dickinson & Joan Wakefield
-Founders and President & Vice President of Tapeta Footings.
“James Armstrong and his team at Newcastle have been a pleasure to work with for the past 6 years since the installation of the Tapeta Surface. James
has been a sponge for knowledge since the very beginning. He communicates regularly with our track specialist Miguel Piedra and between them they always come up with a solution to any issues. He is very much a team leader and a team
player. He garners respect from everyone he is associated with. A true asset.”
Leslie Barwise-Munro
-Senior Racecourse vet & honourary Vice President of National Equine Welfare.
“James Armstrong has been Clerk of the Course at Newcastle for a large part of the time I have worked as Senior Veterinary Surgeon.
James works tirelessly to provide a high standard of clerking. He is always patient, logical and cheerful. As incident controller for any on course emergencies, James remains calm and effective whilst delegating the required help to the scene.
The ground staff, vets and vet assistants respect James’ experience and judgement and therefore respond very positively to his instructions.”
Cornelius Lysaght
-Racing Correspondent, broadcaster, journalist BBC Sport 1990-2020.
“In racing everyone has a view about the state of the going, so 'dissing' clerks of the course is a national pastime but l've rarely heard a bad word about James and his
assessments; and with as big a workload as any official - all-weather flat & jumps at Newcastle, all those fixtures at Hexham
plus the art - I have always marvelled at his industry and ongoing enthusiasm for the work.”
Paul Hanagan
-Champion Flat Jockey 2019-2021.
James Armstrong and Paul Hanagan.
“James has always been thoroughly nice to deal with, always helpful. The main thing that will always standout for me is after having a serious fall at Newcastle after clipping heels, he was the first person to visit me and made sure everything was OK for me, including talking to family and friends for which I will be forever grateful.”
Professional Jockey Association.
-Dale Gibson.
“I have had the good fortune to have known and worked with James for 20 years. Whilest conducting my business as a Professional flat jockey and safety officer alongside my role as vice president of the PJA he couldn’t have been more helpful and insightful with any respect of Newcastle Racecourse. He often received phone calls from me at all times of the day and night to discuss various ground and safety issues and always responded accurately.
Once retiring from the saddle I took up my position with the PJA and whilst I haven’t had the volume of correspondence I had while riding, James has been easy to deal with, often in difficult circumstances.
The track development from turf to tapeta was overseen by James, its success is a testimony in itself to his enthusiasm and dedication.
However, James also performed miracles when hosting the initial resumption of racing flat fixtures following lockdown in 2020. A monumental effort which should not be underestimated. Personally and also on behalf of all members of the Professional Jockeys Association we trust his experience and enthusiasm will remain in high demand.”