Terry Biddlecombe

Terry Biddlecombe (2 February 1941 – 5 January 2014) was an English National Hunt racing jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. He was Champion Jockey in 1965, 1966 and 1969.

Career

Biddlecombe was born in Gloucester on 2 February 1941.[1] He rode 114 winners in the 1964/1965 season, and followed that with 102 the next season. In 1968/1969, he rode 77 winners, which saw him tied with Bob Davies.[2] One of his finest moments came in the 1967 Cheltenham Gold Cup, when he rode the 100-8 horse Woodland Venture to victory. In 1972 he finished second in the Grand National on Gay Trip. Between 1972 and 1974, he rode many times for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, a well-known supporter of horse racing. In 1974 he appeared on the television programme This Is Your Life, and finally retired from competitive racing having posted more than 900 winners.[3][1]

Later life

Biddlecombe married the trainer Henrietta Knight in 1995, having given her the ultimatum "It's the bottle or me".[4]

Together with his wife, held open days at their stables, with many coming to see the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate, who was ridden to victory by Jim Culloty in 2002 and 2003.[5] Another of their star horses, Edredon Bleu won the 2003 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse.

In the early 1980s, Terry worked with the actor John Hurt for his role in the 1983 film Champions, the biopic of jockey Bob Champion.[6] Terry was followed into the racing game by his son, from his second marriage, Robert.

He had remained involved in horse racing until his death on 5 January 2014 following a long illness.[7][8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Terry Biddlecombe - obituaries". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  2. ↑ "Terry Biddlecombe passes away at 72". The Irish Times. 5 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Kay, Dr Joyce; Vamplew, Professor Wray (2004). Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing. Routledge. ISBN 978-0714682921.
  4. ↑ Lucy Cavendish (22 December 2003). "'It's the bottle or me'". standard.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Best Mate: Story of a champion". BBC Sport. 12 March 2004.
  6. ↑ "Champions". BFI.
  7. ↑ "Terry Biddlecombe: Former jockey, husband of Henrietta Knight, dies". BBC News. 5 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Sue Montgomery (8 January 2014). "Terry Biddlecombe: Jump jockey who was champion three times and enjoyed a second career assisting his trainer wife, Henrietta Knight". Retrieved 8 January 2014.
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