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It was announced earlier this morning that Terry Bibblecombe has died. He was such a great character of the National Hunt game while he was a top class jockey, and also ever since he retired from the saddle. Condolences to Henrietta and all his other family, and to the many friends he has left behind.
Terry certainly gave me
a few hearty laughs
an irrepressible character
so full of fun and mirth.
He made the racecourse
his own stage and his
jollity will hopefully
keep its presence there
for evermore amusing
the very grasses and winds
that brought him so much
good fortune.RIP
Just read the sad news.
Condolences to his family and friends.When I moved over to the UK and got interested in racing he was one of the top jocks at the time. Always had a soft spot for him, with that grin of his.
I don’t really remember him as a jockey, but those of us in the Midlands were always delighted in the early 80’s when ATV/Central’s Gary Newbon used to hand over to Terry on a Friday night for "Terry’s Tips".
They were bloody awful, but it was always worth it to get a blast of TB’s cheery demeanor. He once interviewed a woman called Henrietta Knight on that slot and apparently took quite a shine to her…
Mike
Terry was the giant among NH jocks when I first took an interest. A real hard man who, along with a few of his weighing room mates, would head straight from the track to the pub.
My most vivid memory of him was his winning ride on French Excuse in the 1970 Welsh National. He had wasted so hard for it, he had to be helped off the horse, nose pouring blood.
Goodbye to the greatest of the old school. Condolences to his friends and family.
A real hard man who, along with a few of his weighing room mates, would head straight from the track to the pub.
And occasionally the other way round.
Mike
Yes, one of racing’s great characters. Hung up his boots before I got interested but was great to watch him flourish as part of racing’s odd couple.
RIP Terry.
Sad news, but he’d been in very poor health over the last couple of years, not nice to witness.
The "Blond Bomber" was a great jockey during the 60s, a most talented horseman and lion-brave.
Condolences to Henrietta, family and friends.
I had such a crush on him when I was young
I’m so glad he found such happines with Hen and they found a horse in a lifetime with Best Mate. I’ll always remember seeing them at Cheltenham after Best Mate had won his third Gold Cup. A real tear jerker that was.I also remember Terry on the local news in the Midlands in the early 80s (Friday nights?). That was when I was a very young lad, just getting interested, so I guess I can lay a small part of the blame on him.
I don’t have a specific memory, nor can I refer to any ride in particular, but there was something that made me laugh, which was in the BBC coverage of the 1974 Grand National, as shown on ESPN Classic a few years ago.
Terry had just retired, I think, and was doing a bit of punditing on the big race. The parade has just finished and the runners are streaming away to look at the first fence. The conversation between Peter O’Sullevan and Terry goes as follows (and forgive me for paraphrasing)
PO’S – Terry, you’ve been here many times before, it’s a tense time for everyone. Tell us how important it is for the horses and jockeys to have a good look at the first.
TB – Well, I never liked it really. They all know what to do and it holds up the start. It’s a waste of time really.
PO’S – (flustered) Right, thanks Terry….
One of the greats in an era of greats. The most charismatic of the jockeys and that will be what stays in my mind .
T. Biddles – Weighed in .Obviously, the vast majority didn’t know them personally but I guess many racing fans like myself would have raised a smile at the success of Hen and Terry. A bit of genuine emotion is never a bad thing.
The memory fades but I think I remember Terry winning on Coral Diver at Wolverhampton. Perhaps Channel 4 might be able to find some earlier footage of the horse? I also remember the tips – how times change, racing would be lucky to get a few seconds of airtime a year these days.
Yeah absolutely, one of the greats in an era of greats. A little bit before my time, really, but I remember in the late 1960’s Terry Biddlecombe was one of several jump jockeys my gambling uncle used to like following, along with Josh Gifford, Jeff King and David Mould. My earliest memory of Terry is when he rode a horse called Domacorn, I think, against probably The Laird with Jeff King up, among others. No other details of the race, I’m afraid, being too immature at the time – me, that is.
As for Coral Diver, I have vague recollection of him winning a big handicap on the flat, either the Great Met or the City and Suburban at Epsom, most probably the former – both were major races in those days. Though not necessarily with big Terry on board, I dare say.
RIP
Digging through some old books, I found Terry’s story of what he considered his ‘Greatest Race’
It’s on my blog http://wp.me/p1o7dN-VG
Condolences to his family and friends.
I’m so glad he found such happines with Hen and they found a horse in a lifetime with Best Mate. I’ll always remember seeing them at Cheltenham after Best Mate had won his third Gold Cup. A real tear jerker that was.
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