Who was Walter Swinburn?

The late Walter Swinburn, who suffered a fatal head injury when falling from the bathroom window of his home in Belgravia, London in 2016, at the age of 55, was a former jockey and trainer. Swinburn had suffered from post-traumatic epilepsy after a near-fatal riding accident at Sha Tin, Hong Kong in 1996, which may, or may not, have contributed to his death.

Swinburn rode his first winner, Paddy’s Luck, at Kempton in July, 1978 and enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks, thanks in no small part to the tutelage of Herbert ‘Frenchie’ Nicholson and Reg Hollinshead. By 1980, he had not only ridden out his claim, but had been appointed stable jockey to Michael Stoute – in the days before his knighthood – for the following season. Nicknamed the ‘Choirboy’ in his heyday, because of his fresh-faced, angelic looks, Swinburn was still only 19 years of age when he rode the ill-fated Shergar to a record 10-length win in the Derby in 1981.

All told, Swinburn won a total of eight British Classics and recorded numerous high-profile successes at home and abroad, including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on All Along in 1983 and the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Pilsudski in 1996, to name but two, before retiring from the saddle in 2000. Four years later, he took over the training licence at Church Farm in Tring, Hertfordshire from his father-in-law, Peter Harris, and enjoyed a reasonably successful training career before handing in his licence, due to financial constraints, in 2011.

How much are jockeys paid?

As in other walks of life, how, and how much, jockeys are paid depends on whether they are employed, or ‘retained’, by an owner or trainer or self-employed. The vast majority of jockeys, Flat and National Hunt, are self-employed and, as such, are paid on a fixed-rate, ride-by-ride basis. They do, of course, receive a fixed percentage of win and place prize-money, alongside sponsorship income, if applicable. However, jockeys also have expenditure, not least travel, taxes and deductions, paid to agents, valets, the Professional Jockeys’ Association and Weatherbys among others, to consider.

According to the ‘Racing Post’, average earnings for jockeys under both codes are around £30,000 a year, although apprentice and conditional jockeys earn substantially less. Since July, 2020, apprentice jockeys split their riding fee and prize money 80/20 or 90/10 with the trainer concerned, while conditional jockeys receive 100% of riding fees and prize money; both apprentice and conditional jockeys are responsible for full expenses. While the majority of jockeys are modestly paid, at the apex of the profession, world-class jockeys can be paid six or seven-figure salaries, including sponsorship deals and retainer fees, the details of which remain private.

What does ‘warned off’ mean?

Beyond the idiomatic sense of being discouraged from doing something, in the world of horse racing, a individual who is ‘warned off’ is subject to a specific punishment imposed by a regulatory body, such as the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), in Britain, or the Irish Horseracing Board (IHRB). Once ‘warned off’, an individual cannot enter premises licensed by the regulator, such as racecourses or training establishments, including their own, or associate with jockeys, trainers, owners or any other licensed or registered persons. The duration of the punishment could be months or years, at the discretion of the regulator.

For example, in March, 2021, Simon McGonagle, head lad to Co. Meath trainer Gordon Elliott, was warned off for nine months, seven of which were suspended, for taking an infamous photograph of Elliott sitting astride a dead horse. The photograph circulated widely on social media and led to the trainer being fined €15,000 and having his licence suspended for six months. Both men were found guilty of acting in a manner which was ‘prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing’. Other serious rule breaches include corruption, in all its forms, and administering prohibited substances, such as anabolic steroids, to horses.

What are some of the best horses ever?

What are some of the best horses ever? Every generation of racehorses produces it own outstanding performers but, from time to time, horses capture the public imagination in a way that transcends generations and achieve almost legendary status. Arkle, for example, is best remembered for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running in 1964, 1965 and 1966, but has since become the benchmark against which every steeplechaser is measured. Likewise, in the sphere of National Hunt racing, Red Rum, who won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, as well as finishing second in 1975 and 1976, has also gained ‘immortality’.

On the Flat, Dancing Brave, who won the 2,000 Guineas, Coral-Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1986 – and should have won the Derby, in the eyes of many observers – falls into the same category. So, too, does Frankel, who was unbeaten in all 14 races, including ten at the highest, Group One level and was the first horse for 60 years to be a champion at two, three and four years. On the other side of the Atlantic, Secretariat, nicknamed ‘Big Red’, became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown in 1973; his 31-length demolition of the opposition in the Belmont Stakes remains one of the best performances ever seen on a racecourse.

1 … 81 82 83 84 85 … 138