Nigel Payne and Maggie Carver pay tribute to Aintree chairman Rose Paterson

There are times in your professional career when you meet someone who you know immediately you will be able to work with and you will like as a person.

Never has that been more evident than when I first met Rose Paterson in 2005 when she joined the committee of Aintree Racecourse.

Peter Daresbury was doing a great job as chairman and he confided in me that one day Rose would most probably be our chairman (a title Rose insisted on).

This did occur in 2014 and it was from this moment that we became really close.

As I have been involved at Aintree since 1976 she used to use me as a sounding board for earlier times. We used to talk pretty much every day in the months leading up to the National meeting. We had lots of laughs and she had a lovely, if not cheeky, sense of humour.

She was massively into welfare and, although we did not agree on everything, we both knew that come what may the horse must come first.

I stayed at her beautiful house several times. I caught the train from Exeter and changed at Birmingham for Gobowen. Rose would pick me up and drive quite fast the 15 minutes home. On the way we might pop in to see the Tullochs. Andrew, Aintree's then clerk of the course, lives very close.

Back home it was not long before a glass of whisky was in my hand and a home-cooked supper followed. Sometimes Owen, her husband, would cook me breakfast but when parliament was sitting and he was in London, Rose, bless her, despite eating no meat, would cook me bacon and eggs.

She showed off her multiple skills in and around the parade ring and winner's enclosure at Aintree. Very often, if I was talking to someone she would catch my eye and, almost by telepathy, she would excuse herself from her conversation and come over and charm the person I wanted her to meet.

She did this time and time again. She would always come into the Alan Lee Media Centre every morning before racing and again at the end of the day.

Rose Paterson: died at the age of 63 this weekCredit: Edward Whitaker

She was a true professional and we all loved her. She was massively supportive of her executive team, first John Baker and then Dickon White.

Now these lovely days are over and I will remember always my call to her last Monday when I rang her early in the afternoon for a chat. There was a click-clicking noise and I asked her what it was and she told me she was trimming a hedge and had wedged the phone to her ear.

We chatted about Royal Ascot and agreed what an incredible job they had done and how brilliant and innovative the ITV coverage was. And jumping would be back soon!

She was so relieved that she had most of her family staying with her since the start of lockdown. How terrible this must be for them. Devastation.

There is so much to say but nothing will replace that bright, happy face that lightened up the day. I will never forget Rose. So many great memories.

Nigel Payne, Professional Jockeys' Association chairman

All at the RCA have been deeply saddened by the news of Rose Paterson’s death. During her tenure as chairman of Aintree since 2014 Rose was a great friend to the sport of horseracing and was respected as a source of sound counsel.

She loved horses, cared deeply about horse welfare and was one of the inspirations behind the setting up of the Horse Welfare Board. She made a significant and lasting impact at Aintree, which was named champion racecourse in 2017.

On a personal note, Rose was a wonderful lady in every way and news of her death is truly upsetting. It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with her.

We extend our condolences to Rose’s family and her colleagues at Aintree. She will be greatly missed.

Maggie Carver, Racecourse Association chairman