- This topic has 24 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 7 months ago by
.
- Posts
Does anyone have any funny TRUE racing stories to tell.
Here’s one of mines: Hope you enjoy.
I was at a Jockey’s dinner and dance with among others Ken Hogg, Ron Barry, the late Tony Charlton, also the apprentice Tony Charlton, David Goulding and Irish Jockey Frank Levy.
Ron Barry David Goulding Ken Hogg Frank Levy and myself were drinking Gin and Tonics like they had gone out of fashion.
David the only sensible one among us went off to do his milk round but the rest of us kept on going. About 6am Frank forever the joker told me to get my gear together we were going to Gordon Richard’s yard to ride out. I thought he was joking but not a bit of it.
Within 5 minutes of arriving at Greystoke we had let Highway Rambler and some tiny little pony slip out of their boxes and we were chasing them round the yard trying to get them back in before Gordon showed up, which we did in the nick of time.
I had never met Gordon before this and was sitting in the tack room like a little mouse in the corner, wondering what the hell I was doing there.
Who the **** are you? asked Gordon "Can you ride a bit of work" "Yep" I said "I ride out at Ken Olivers everyday" What kind of ******* reccommendation is that? he quipped, which had the whole yard laughing there heads off at me.
Without blinking an eye he turned to Frank Levy and told him to put me on Sea Pigeon. His facial expression was as serious as you could imagine and he told me not to worry enjoy myself and that he was a nice quiet easy ride.
My jaw dropped, I had ridden out on a few top horses with Rhona Oliver but not a superstar like Sea Pigeon.
Frank took me along to the box and we tacked up and off we went. I remember thinking Sea Pigeon wasn’t a big horse and was giving me any sort of feel of being anything special, which suprised me a little.
Before I knew it I was 200 yds behind everything and we were only walking to the gallops. I was kicking him always but sideways and he just wouldn’t keep up with the others.
Frank and some other kid came back to walk with me to try and get him to speed up. I asked Frank "how the hell did this thing ever win a race" Frank couldn’t keep a straight face any longer and through the tears said "Oh bi geez i only went and gone and put you on the wrong horse"
Talk about feeling like a right idiot they got me hook line and sinker.
Eventually to a great ovasion of laughter I got to the gallops. Gordon with that rye smile of his asked if I was ok and told me "keep a good hold of that fellow he can go a bit on the gallops"
At that point the chances of me believing anything I was being told were ziltch. We set off for a canter and I gave the horse a little kick just to make sure he would at least take off………..The friggin thing took off with me like he thought he was Desert Orchid……..It was drizzling with rain and I had no gloves on and the reigns kept slipping through my hands, which wasn’t helping. I remember passing gordon at top speed and him shouting " What are you a kamaikaze Pilot"
The fact I was drunk as a skunk never helped but I thought I was a goner. He was heading straight for a hurdle only it wasn’t the front of the hurdle it was the back. However I decided to start riding him out as hard as I could and he never liked that. instead of going faster is that was possible he slowed right down. I tried to pull him up but he was having none off it he took off again…….the problem was the gallops faced the yard and he wanted to get home and nothing would stop him.
The horse incidentally was called Spondulics who was at that time useless. He did win for another trainer I guess he must have been facing the new trainers yard when they turned for home that day.
He certainly took me for a ride as did Gordon and the staff at Greystoke.
I once heard Gary Stevens tell a funny story – which highlights one of the differences in the way things are done in England – about one of his experiences riding work for Henry Cecil.
I will quote although, obviously, the actual words spoken would have been different.
Cecil : "Ok Gary, I want you to jump off and go a nice breeze."
Stevens : "Ok, but how fast do you want me to go ? "
Cecil : "Like I said, go a nice breeze."
Stevens: "You don’t use timing ?"
Cecil: "No."
Stevens : "Well, how do you know if you have a good one (horse) ?"
Cecil: "Well , we jump three off together (Henry then points to the top of Warren Hill) and the first one to the top of that is best."Jilly
How pedantic, the guy has spent a bit of time writing a story and all you can say is their not there.‘their’ not ‘there’
Soz
‘Sorry’ not ‘Soz’.
Great story by the way. Wish i could give a story like it but sadly can’t
But enjoyed reading yours! Do you still work in the business?Nice story.
Not sure if being allowed to ride a racehorse while pissed is a good idea, but I guess that’s just the serious side of me coming out
Mike
Jilly
How pedantic, the guy has spent a bit of time writing a story and all you can say is their not there.Whilst i’m Head Mistress round here standards will be maintained.
Jilly
How pedantic, the guy has spent a bit of time writing a story and all you can say is their not there.Whilst i’m Head Mistress round here standards will be maintained.
Should be I’m then, not i’m
i’m soz
Whilst i’m Head Mistress round here standards will be maintained.
Really? Well, I’m the OFSTED inspector, and I regret to inform you, headmistress, that your school has been deemed a failing one. You’re finished in this profession.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
A bit unfair Jeremy, considering you are finishing her because you have deemed it only as ‘failing’.
Now if it had been deemed as ‘failed’ I would fully understand, but surely as it is just failing then she deserves the chance to turn things around
Mike
on the subject of Gordon Richards can anyone tell me where he trained before he was at Greystoke – we were told that it was somewhere near Crastor in Northumberland…..
on the subject of Gordon Richards can anyone tell me where he trained before he was at Greystoke – we were told that it was somewhere near Crastor in Northumberland…..
He started of with winner at Bogside called Playlord who I am pretty sure won the Scottsh National. Playlord was trained by Gordon at Beadnell Village which near Bamburgh. I have no idea where Crastor is.
Jilly
How pedantic, the guy has spent a bit of time writing a story and all you can say is their not there.Whilst i’m Head Mistress round here standards will be maintained.
So your HEAD – Mistress, tell us something we don’t know Jilly
‘their’ not ‘there’
Soz
‘Sorry’ not ‘Soz’.
Great story by the way. Wish i could give a story like it but sadly can’t
But enjoyed reading yours! Do you still work in the business?I never worked in the business as such. I started riding out basically for fun many years ago. I used to get up at 5.30am and ride out 3 lots before going off to work for the day. I was lucky enough to ride out at Harry Bells, Ken Olivers, Mick Lamberts, Gordon’s and Jonjo’s. I aklso did get chance to ride Sea Pigeon when we met Pat Muldons son at Pat Rohans yard. I rode him on the road round Malton for about 15 mins (Thought I was king of the castle)
I had a couple of horses in Training with Tony Charlton who was unfortuantely killed in a car accident. I knew Jonjo a little at that time and it was he who stopped at the scene of the accident and found Tony dead.
I moved my remaining horse to Jonjos and got to know the wee man quite well. We shared a lot of laughs, one in particular that would probably get me banned if I told the story on here……he was so quick witted and had a fatastic sense of humour but Tony who I had known since he was an apprentice at Harry Bells was my best friend in the world and my heart was no longer in it. Tony never used to tell me anything
But I used to scare the bookies by just walking past them:lol: After I sold my horse I left racing ownership for good.The fact I got out of racing had nothing to do with Jonjo. I had huge respect for the man and anyone who ever doubts his love of horses should know this about him. I met him one day in a village outside Malton he had gone miles out his way just to visit Sea Pigeon at Polly Tearny’s small yard in Apple le street. Sea Pigeon was well retired by that time but to Jonjo he was still the love of his life..there’s not many like Jonjo in a bag of coal
Here’s a little cracker about Jonjo I just have to tell. I was in his house at Skelton before he moved yard. My wife and I were having breakfast with him and I was playing with his little dog "Skip" he was shooting about the kitchen like rocket. All of a sudden the dog stopped in it’s tracks, keeled over and died. Jonjo jumped up like a shot and rapped his mouth round the dogs mouth and gave it the kiss of life. He brought him back to life. I was gobsmacked and thinking f*** me I’ve killed his dog. I was also gobsmacked about how quickly he reacted. I couldn’t believe it when he brought the dog back to life. Unfortunately Skip had another heart attack the next day and died.
Beadnell isn’t all that far from Crastor, they’re all roundabout Dunstanburgh Castle – I bet he used to exercise the horses on the beach, I think you can go from Beadnell up to Newton by the Sea – I’ll be able to imagine that when I walk the dog. Obviously a man who like to train by castles. There was another trainer in that area who, so I’ve been told got very drunk and drove into Seahouses Harbour, but we don’t know who it was [sorry, this isn’t funny it’s all gloom and doom..] Tony Dobbin is building a stables round that area with Rose Davidson…it’s a lovely part of the world with Kelso Racecourse and Alnwick point to point nearby…mo
But enjoyed reading yours! Do you still work in the business?
But I used to scare the bookies by just walking past them:lol: After I sold my horse I left racing ownership for good.- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.