Joe Aitcheson Jr. (jockey)

[Miss Woodford]

Legendary American jumps jockey, dead at age 85. A WWII and Korean War vet, he began riding after he left the service at age 28, raced until age 49, and in that time became the all-time winningest steeplechase rider in America. He continued exercising horses in the mornings at Laurel Park until he was 80.

An excellent obituary from the Washington Post (!) which gives you a sense of how well-regarded he was in his time.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/ma … story.html

Joe Clancy’s tribute http://thisishorseracing.com/news/index … dies-at-85

He was also one of the subjects of a disheartening 1971 Sports Illustrated article. Unfortunately even the “only three races a week in New York” and the occasional race at Delaware and Monmouth sound like a distant dream compared to the shape of the sport in this country today. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ … /index.htm

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