Michael Dickinson (horseman)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael W. Dickinson (born February 3, 1950 in Yorkshire, England) is a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Dickinson was an amateur champion rider before becoming a professional jockey for 10 years. His rides included a classic winner, Boucher.
Having been educated at Rossall School, Dickinson got his trainer's license in 1980, taking over his parents' stables. He trained at Dunkeswick near Harewood in Yorkshire and was the Champion Trainer of National Hunt racing for three years in England. Two of his formative years were spent under the tutelage of Vincent O'Brien, the legendary Irish trainer who was master of Ballydoyle, the training center in County Tipperary.
Michael Dickinson is perhaps most famous for his extraordinary feat of training the first five in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup. In order: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck, and Ashley House. The BBC has an interesting account of Dickinson's Famous Five.[1] He also trained a record 12 winners on Boxing Day in 1982. Both of which are in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Dickinson also briefly trained flat racing horses for Robert Sangster before going to the USA, where he had his first runner on June 30, 1987.
In 1993, he was elected to the United Kingdom Steeplechasing Hall of Fame.
Dickinson’s most acclaimed flat training feat came with Da Hoss. He trained the horse to win the 1996 and 1998 Breeders' Cup Mile despite the horse only having one race in between due to injury.
