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anyone on here remember these old lightweight jockeys or am i the only golden oldie on here
1 des cullen
2 david east
3 mickey greening
4 h j greenaway
5 k temple nidd
6 b henry
seven stone jockeys riding at the bottom of the handicap
des cullen nearly drown once in the river thames when a horse bolted and threw him in the thames he was so smallI remember the names appearing in the paper but couldn’t tell you much about them. A couple others were Ray Reader and L C (Cliff) Parkes.
Yes, I remember them, but like yeats, more as names rather than anything specific.
There were a couple of apprentices about 30 years ago called Dicey (can’t recall his first name) and Compton Rodrigues who could both ride light.
More recently, there was poor Steve Wood, tragically killed at Lingfield in the 90s, he could do 7st 7lb with ease.
Think he was Richard Dicey.
I even had one of those lightweights ride for me back in the early 80’s – Richard Fox, who could do 7st 7lbs on a good day.
The first time I met him was in David Elsworth’s kitchen one Sunday morning and it totally destroyed my illusions of the pint sized jockey surviving on weak tea and cigars. He was eating a four rasher bacon sandwich and put three sugars in a mug of tea, and he could still do the weight the next day.
The horse was called Rising Fast and the first time Foxy saw him in the paddock he said ‘F*** me, he’s two planks held together with string’, which was fairly unexpected. I’d asumed the conversation would be along the lines of ‘nice sort’ and ‘how do you think we should ride him’.
Not much call nowadays for a man that could do 7-7.
AP
Des Cullen …………..yes the name brings back many happy memories.
He was very strong, even at his weight, and he was adept at scoring on long shots, one I particularly fondly remembered was a filly for Mrs. Nagle in a sprint handicap at Newbury……33/1. (‘fraid I can’t remember the name of the hoss!)
Colin
Yep – remember them all bar H J Greenaway.
I may be wrong, but I think Keith Temple-Nidd rode mainly for Gavin Hunter.
David East – was it Fulke Johnson Houghton ?
Neither of them were anything to write home about. Des Cullen though had a much higher reputation.- Total Posts 17716
Wasn’t it Johnny Greenaway, who used to ride for Bill Elsey amongst others?
apracing,
that was interesting about Richard Fox. I always used to like him being interviewed on t.v. thought he was carefree and off the cuff with his comments. Most jockeys seem rather bland today by comparison.Reet Hard,
I associated H J Greenaway more with Jack Calvert’s stable near Thirsk in the 60’s. I’m sure he used to ride an old favourite of mine called Dondeen who won the Nottingham Stewards Cup and was placed in several top sprints around 1966 [?] including July Cup [Lucasland’s year?], going from memory, no books so not too sure about that.
At least he rode 1 good horse.perks,
shame about Taffy Thomas. He died some time ago tragically I believe [suicide?]. I recall him winning the Coventry at Ascot in 1977 for I think Freddie Maxwell [Cawston’s Clown], drawn on the outside 16 got right across to the stand rail and just held on. I thought it a great ride at the time and had a little money on it. He came across as a nice type of person when interviewed and was shocked to hear of what happened to him.UM,
You’re right about Richard Fox being more open with the press than most. In a feature about him in the old Sporting Life, he mentioned being given an award for ride of the month (it was a Guy Harwood horse in a big handicap, can’t remember the name). He’d won in a photo and been praised for a well timed challenge, but admitted in this article that he’d cocked it up, left the horse too much to do and should have won by four lengths.
A couple more names from my early days going racing – Ray Still, Denis McKay and although he did have some big success, essentally a lightweight man for handicaps – Ernie Johnson.
AP
lol….I expect Alan, the original quote from Foxy contained more than a few expletives.
Didn’t he do punditing for C4 for a time, I seem to recall.Anyone know what the boy Dominic Fox’s minimum is? When he first appeared on the scene a few years ago he did a passable impression of Tom Thumb.
More recent than the names mentioned above but IIRC both John Lowe and Lindsay Charnock could do 7-07 following a hearty breakfast.
Once had the pleasure of a brief chat with old Willie Snaith who booted home many a winner in the ’50s and ’60s; a tiny man, less than 5ft I’d estimate and while he now carried the rotundity of advancing years I’m sure he’d have had no problems at whatever the minimum was back in his riding days. Well before my time I hasten to add.
I remember all those jockeys.
How about these 3
Russ Maddock
Joe Sime
Eddie CracknellFirst I’d heard about Taffy Thomas – are you sure>?
I’m so terribly sorry, you’re quite right I got it wrong, it was Tony Murray who died, so sincere apologies to Taffy and his family for sending him over rather prematurely. Alzheimers must be setting in
I’m not sure now which one of them rode that winner at Ascot either now…lol!
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