Norman Frank Paul Butler (December 2, 1918 – October 8, 2011) was an American polo player and thoroughbred breeder.

Early life and education

Norman Frank Paul Butler was born to Paul Butler and Sarah Anne Josephine (née Rooney). The Butler family founded Butler Paper in Chicago in 1841, and Butler Aviation in 1945, as well as the village of

Oak Brook, Illinois Oak Brook is a village mostly in DuPage County with a small portion in Cook County in Illinois. Per the 2020 census, the population was 8,163. This suburb of Chicago has the headquarters of several companies and organizations including Ace H ...

including the Oak Brook Polo Club in 1922 and

Butler National Golf Club Butler National Golf Club is a private golf club located in Oak Brook, Illinois. History Butler National was the creation of Paul Butler, an affluent entrepreneur, philanthropist, and sportsman who was also the founder of the village of Oak Broo ...

in 1972. He attended Hodder Place,

Downside School Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the English public school tradition for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is located between Bath, Frome, Wells and Bruton, and is attached to Downside Abbey. Originall ...

and

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...

in Lancashire, England. He later studied Modern Greats at Oriel College, Oxford University. During WW2 he served as a Lieutenant (USNR) with Squadron VB-107, which was based in Natal, Brazil and Ascension Island. He was decorated three times, with the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

and Presidential Unit Citation.

Career

From 1948 until 1960 he worked in England as a director in the Butler Paper and Butler Aviation companies, and founded Butler S.A. (South America). It was also during this time that he played polo in England, Argentina and the United States, notably on teams including Maharaj Prem Singh and Cecil Smith , as well as playing opposite

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

at Cowdray Park. In 1960 he bought Kilboy House in County Tipperary, Ireland. As a thoroughbred breeder in 1972 he won the classic

Irish 1,000 Guineas The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

and the

Irish St. Leger The Irish St Leger is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs (2,816 metres), and it i ...

as well as the Pretty Polly Stakes with his horse

Pidget Pidget (1969 – after 1984) was a British-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In 1972 she completed a unique double when she won both the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Irish St Leger. After showing some promise when winni ...

, trained by Kevin Prendergast and ridden by the jockeys

T. P. Burns Thomas Pascal "TP" Burns (14 April 1924 – 14 May 2018) was an Irish flat racing and jump jockey, who rode mainly for trainer Vincent O'Brien. In 1957, Burns won a British Classic at St Leger atop Ballymoss, a first for an Irish-bred horse. He ...

and

Wally Swinburn Walter Robert Swinburn, (born 1937), is a retired jockey who competed in Flat racing. He was Irish flat racing Champion Jockey in 1976 and 1977, and was the first jockey to ride 100 winners in a season in Ireland. He was based at various times in ...

. Other notable horses included Pabui (winner of the 1974 Criterium di Roma at Capanelle) and Kilboy. His horses raced in Ireland, England, Italy and France. He also worked with

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish horse racing, race horse horse trainer, trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in ...

and

John Magnier John Magnier (born 10 February 1948; also known as "The Boss") is an Irish business magnate. He is Ireland's leading thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry. Magnier has also been a Senat ...

among others. He later sold Kilboy House to

Tony Ryan Thomas Anthony Ryan (2 February 1936 – 3 October 2007) was an Irish billionaire, philanthropist and businessman who co-founded the Ryanair airline. Through his establishment of Guinness Peat Aviation in 1975 he began a course of events which ...

, founder of

Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...

. He was a member of

Buck's Club Buck's Club is a gentlemen's club in London, located at 18 Clifford Street, established in June 1919. P. G. Wodehouse mentions it in some stories and modelled his Drones Club mostly after Buck's. It is probably best known for the Buck's Fiz ...

and the Corviglia Club.

Personal life

In 1948 he married Pauline Winn, daughter of Lady Baillie and the Hon. Charles John Frederick Winn (son of

Rowland Winn, 2nd Baron St Oswald Rowland Winn, 2nd Baron St Oswald (1 August 1857 – 13 April 1919) was a Conservative Party politician in England. At the 1885 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Pontefract in Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated ...

), of

Leeds Castle Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. A castle has existed on the site since 857. In the 13th century, it came into th ...

in Kent. They had two children together. They divorced in 1958. In 1959 he married his second wife, the Hon. Penelope Dewar, daughter of Lord Forteviot, owner of Dewar Whiskies in Scotland. They had three children together. They divorced in 1977. In 1981 he married his third wife Baroness Gabriella Gröger von Sontag, fashion editor of German ''Vogue'', daughter of a German banker and Director of the

Dresdner Bank Dresdner Bank AG was a German bank and was based in Frankfurt. It was one of Germany's largest banking corporations and was acquired by competitor Commerzbank in May 2009. History 19th century The Dresdner Bank was established on 12 Novemb ...

. They had one son together.https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/palmbeachpost/name/marjorie-childress-obituary?id=27529349

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Norman 1918 births 2011 deaths American polo players American racehorse owners and breeders American people of Irish descent People educated at Stonyhurst College People educated at Downside School Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford