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

Biography

Norman Butler was born to Paul Butler and Sarah Anne Josephine (née Rooney), from County Mayo, Ireland. Both his father and his grandfather, Frank Osgood Butler, were prominent American industrialists and founders of Oak Brook Village, Illinois. He was born in New York City in 1918. He attended Hodder preparatory school, Downside and Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, England. He later studied Modern Greats at Oriel College, Oxford University. 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 ( ; abbreviate ...

), 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, Sandra Butler (born 1949) and Paget Butler (born 1953). They divorced in 1958. From 1948 until 1960 he worked as a director in the Butler Paper and Butler Aviation companies, and Butler S.A. (South America). It was also during this time that he played polo in the United States, England and South America. 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, Paul Butler (born 1960), Tiggy Butler (born 1961) and Sean Butler (born 1963). 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. They had one son, Patrick de Butler (born 1986).

Thoroughbred racing

In 1960 he bought Kilboy Estate 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 ...

and the Irish St. Leger as well as the Pretty Polly Stakes with his famous 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 jockey

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 ...

. He also worked with Vincent O'Brien and Walter Swinburn among many others during his time as a thoroughbred breeder, and his horses raced in Ireland, England and France.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Norman Frank 1918 births 2011 deaths American polo players American racehorse owners and breeders American people of Irish descent