One of the nation's most popular presenters, Clare Balding (49), tells us about why she's mad about animals, and how she was inspired to write her latest book.
“As a child, I was so obsessed with animals that I even went through a stage of thinking I was a dog!” she laughs. “My brother and I were very much below the dogs in the pecking order of family structure. The dogs were way more important than us. But we were very lucky and also had ponies. My dad was a racehorse trainer but we weren’t allowed near the Thoroughbreds until we were older.”
Telling history through animals
It was surely a labour of love, then, for Clare to pen her latest book, Heroic Animals: 100 Amazing Creatures Great and Small in which she tells the stories of 100 incredible animals who have left their mark on the world.
“I wanted to find a way of celebrating all sorts of animals, from giraffes and rhinos to cats and dogs, and even the rats who were trained to sniff out unexploded bombs during the Second World War,” she says. “Heroic Animals is a tribute to their intelligence, loyalty, bravery, kindness and beauty. Animals bring out the best of us as human beings. If we are kind and consistent, patient and clear, they will respond by helping us as best they can.
“We can tell history in so many ways – although most often it is stories retelling the lives and deeds of powerful men. I think telling history through animals is a different and lovely way to reflect on our development. Animals bring so much to our lives yet at times, humankind has treated them so badly. Think Laika, the poor, stray dog from Moscow who the Soviets sent into space and Ham the Chimpanzee who suffered the same fate and never came back.
“But, of course, there are happier stories, too. For instance, the Tamworth Two – a pair of pigs that escaped while being unloaded from a lorry at an abattoir in Wiltshire in 1998. The pigs – later named Butch and Sundance – were on the run for more than a week but eventually found a forever home.”
Clare wrote the book during the early days of lockdown. “I loved writing it and putting it together during lockdown. I had lots of time as so many events and broadcasts have been postponed until next year.”
Clare on losing her own dog, Archie
It was during lockdown that Clare and her wife Alice suffered the loss of a very personal animal hero – their Tibetan Terrier, Archie.
“That was very tough,” she says. “Archie was 15 and we’d had him since he was a little puppy. He brought us so much joy and made us smile every day. But you can’t stop a dog from ageing. I was very glad I was here and not in Tokyo when it happened. It would have been awful for Alice to have to have made the decision to let him go alone and then have to go through losing him alone.
“Now he’s gone there is a gaping dog-shaped hole in our lives. Will we get another dog? I think we will but we’ll wait a while. I don’t want to be away when we get one and, potentially, I have many work commitments that will see me having to travel next year. I don’t want to be an absent parent!”
Coping with Archie’s loss was in some ways eased by the arrival of five British Blue kittens shortly before he passed away. Clare and Alice acted as midwives to Button, their cat and the kittens’ mother.
“What an experience!” Clare recalls. “We stayed up all night to help deliver them. It was quite a responsibility having to oversee the births of these tiny things. Luckily Alice was far more decisive than me and, to be honest, I left it mainly to her! We’ve had a cycle of birth and death this year but that’s the way life is with animals – us, too. We’ve kept one kitten for ourselves whom we’ve named Eric, the others have gone to friends and family.
“Spending time with those adorable, gorgeous kittens was another positive to lockdown. Actually, I’ve enjoyed being at home so much – I never do usually. Once I accepted there was nothing to be done about it, I embraced it. And, oh, what joy it has been not to have to wear make-up and heels."
Life in lockdown
“I haven’t missed having to perform in front of the camera but I have greatly missed live sport – the adrenalin rush, the elements of unpredictability, feelings of excitement and simply not knowing what is going to happen next.
“That’s one of the reasons I love playing golf. It’s my escape and also great fun. I love the fact you have to concentrate really hard on something that doesn’t actually mean anything.”
Is she competitive? “I have to admit that I am. Maybe it comes from growing up with animals in a sporting environment. I’m proud to say my handicap is now 18 rather than the 23 it was before lockdown. Speaking of which, it’s time I was off!”
Heroic Animals: 100 Amazing Creatures Great and Small by Clare Balding, is out now:
Description
Ever since Alexander the Great named a city after the horse who saved his life in battle (and another after his dog), human history wouldn't be the same without the awe-inspiring tales of amazing animals. Now BAFTA-winning presenter, no. 1 bestselling author and all-round national treasure Clare Balding picks out the most heroic and heartwarming (and sometimes hilarious) animals from history and tells their stories. From Simon the sea cat to Greyfriars Bobby's 14-year vigil over his master's grave, to the elephant that saved a small girl and Paul the World-Cup-predicting octopus, Heroic Animals brings to life incredible feats and moving moments which highlight the timeless special bond between human and animal.
Read more popular articles
Sandi Toksvig: Her spouse, children and The Great British Bake Off