Two-time Grand National winning jockey Richard Dunwoody: I earned ten times more on Strictly Come Dancing than I did for winning the biggest Jumps race in the world, one of my winning rides turned up at my wedding as a surprise guest, riding horses for Freddie Starr and reflecting on winning the Grand National 40 years ago this year
Speaking to GrandNational.org.uk, legendary jockey Richard Dunwoody has talked about his two winning rides in the world’s most famous jumps race.
Q: You’ve won the Grand National twice, firstly on West Tip 40 years ago this year. When did you first come across West Tip and how did you get the ride?
Martin Oliver, the brother of Michael, his trainer, had seen me ride four winners as an amateur at Hereford, which was their local course.
Martin recommended me to Michael and I started riding for Michael soon after that. I might have ridden West Tip once as an amateur in the Midlands Grand National and then I kept the ride.
He didn’t come out until about mid-season in 1985 and we went and won the Ritz Club that year, then in the National that year he fell at Bechers when going very easily and we would probably have won.
I was second jockey that year to Captain Tim Forster. Hywel Davies was first jockey. The Captain had two horses in the race, Last Suspect who had won in ’85
There was a chance they wanted me to ride another horse which was owned by Lord Chelsea. The Captain asked me to ring Lord Chelsea to ask permission to get off that horse to ride West Tip and he and the Captain very kindly let me off him.
Q: What type of horse was he? What made him tick?
He was a very sound horse, especially around the National. I rode him five times in the National – fell, won, fourth twice and then second. He was brilliant around there. He was always looking after himself. If a horse fell in front of him, he’d see it before I did. He was literally twisting in midair and he was a very intelligent horse.
When he fell in 1985 it was probably the only mistake he ever made around Aintree.
In those days there was a big crowd around Becher’s and at the back of the fence, took his eye off the fence. He didn’t get quite as high as he should have done and he normally would have done. I felt that the crowd probably distracted him a bit and he was going too easily.
Q: Talk us through the 1986 race.
I popped away just to tuck him in, track the leaders and did that most of the way. There was a horse called Essex in the race, he was a Czech horse and was very, very keen. His trainer rode him in the race who was the jockey as well.
I remember having a really good run in the race with no real difficulties at all. There was one little incident going down to Becher’s second time round with Tom Taaffe on a horse called Sommelier who was just behind me.
Having fallen there the previous year when jumping middle to inner at the fence, I had it in my mind to make sure that I went out far enough where the drop, certainly in those days, was a lot less on the outside than was on the inside.
So, I cut out and Tom was going crazy, going mad at me that I was carrying him wide.
So, there was a bit of shouting going down to Becher’s and then coming back from home I was getting a good lead off Tom Morgan on Monanore, and then Young Driver led me to the last.
And from there, I knew he idled in front, it was a matter of getting a good lead on him by the Elbow. That’s when I wanted to press the button. We took it up just around there, and he went up the run in with his ears pricked.
Q: Winning the race at the age of 22 had a profound effect on your career, didn’t it?
Yes, it was amazing. It set me up. There had been rumours that Peter Scudamore was leaving David Nicholson to join Fred Winter. I’d been second jockey to David and Tim Foster, but the ‘Duke’ was thinking of me for the job to replace Peter.
So, winning it secured me the National and the job. That was basically the start of it all.
Q: You had a close relationship with the horse it seems, because he came to your wedding, didn’t he?
Yes, he and Charter Party were surprise guests at the wedding. They came to the reception!
West Tip, who was named after a hurling team in Ireland, the West Tipps, had a special place in my affections. He got me started and being at the Duke’s eventually meant that I was champion jockey. So, I owe a great deal.
Q: So, he deserves to go down in Grand National history, doesn’t he?
For sure. Running in it six times and finishing five times in the first six overall. He was an amazing horse. You couldn’t get much better than that. He was one of a handful of horses like Greasepaint who came back to the National year after year and did well.
Q: What do you make of the changes to the fences over the years for safety reasons?
It’s not the Grand National that we knew in the 80s certainly. I think some of the changes they made to the landing side of Becher’s were good. But I think maybe it’s gone a bit far now.
Q: Let’s fast forward eight years and Miinnehoma…
Peter Scudamore left Fred Winter to go to Martin Pipe and when he retired, I left the ‘Duke’ and went to Martin having been champion jockey one year at the Duke’s.
I thought my best chance then to be champion jockey again was to go to Martin’s.
In 1994, Miinnehoma ran in the Gold Cup. I was banned as I’d run a fellow rider out through the wing at Nottingham and paid the consequences, missing all of Cheltenham so I went skiing.
Fortunately, it didn’t take too much out of him in the Gold Cup and we went to the National with a great chance.
He was a very clever horse who looked after himself. He was a little bit of a monkey, and they used to have to literally break him in every year because he used to get so fresh.
I rode him in a race at Newbury, which I won, but halfway up the run-in he really idled. He literally stuck the brakes on when they came past the water jump. He got to the front and said, ‘Right, that’s it.’
So, I always remember going to see Martin Pipe in the paddock and saying ‘Whatever I do, I don’t want to hit the front too soon.’
He said the same to me and to make sure you get a lead.
So, in the race, things went reasonably well all the way. Garrison Savannah got wiped out at the first fence, second time around. That was a lucky escape for me as he could have very easily hit me. I was very lucky.
Then he made a bit of a mistake at Becher’s, going down on one knee, but he was such a clever horse that he quickly got himself together.
The ground was pretty testing and not many finished. There was snow on the ground and that contributed to making the ground very sticky.
There was a small group of us coming back across the Melling Road the second time. There were only maybe four or five horses really in with a chance. Adrian Maguire then loomed up sides. We were battling for the championship that year and I started swearing at him saying, ‘Haven’t you beaten me enough this year?!
He looked to be absolutely running away on a horse called Moorcroft Boy. We jumped the second last and I was concentrating on getting a good lead to go into the last. Moorcroft Boy jumped the last really well whereas I went in a bit short and didn’t jump it as well. Adrian went about two lengths clear. I thought then he got me beat.
Then suddenly between the last fence and the Elbow, he stopped very quickly. We found out afterwards he actually burst a blood vessel.
So, I got past him still with a good 100 yards to the Elbow and I was thinking, ‘I do not want to be here. It’s ridiculous.’
I was very much keeping a hold of him, then Just So, who mainly plodded around all the West Country tracks and wasn’t the quickest of horses, joined me.
I thought I’d stopped so much that he was going to beat me. Luckily, I had the rail on my left and Just So challenging on my right. Miinehoma got going again which was a bit of relief.
Q: He was owned by Freddie Starr, wasn’t he. What was Freddie like?
The first time I spoke to him was when we’re doing the interview after the National – Des Lynam, Martin Pipe and myself. Martin had done his best and handed it over to me and I was talking to Des.
Then Martin’s phone went off and the next thing I knew, he’d handed me the phone, and it was Freddie Starr on the other end.
All I could hear was what sounded like a barking noise down the alley. He was going absolutely crazy. It was ridiculous. I was trying to hold a conversation on live TV with Freddie.
We met again the next day at the yard and Freddie was on pretty good form!
We had lunch again at Martin’s maybe a month later and I actually really enjoyed Freddie’s company. He was very witty, telling us all those Muhammad Ali jokes after he’d met him.
It was very sad how it all ended up with him separated from his family and dying alone in an apartment in southern Spain.
Q: You had a terrific career. You were the jockey of your generation, who won the Champion Hurdle, Grand National and the Gold Cup, had 18 Cheltenham wins and was champion jockey three years running in the early 1990s. Is there one race or one achievement that you look back on with utmost pride?
The Miinnehoma National and becoming champion as well.
Q: Why Miinnehoma over West Tip?
The first time was just a blur. I always remember Carl Llewellyn and I were driving up to Aintree and saying if we ever win it again, we would bloody sure we’d enjoy it.
I think the second time we were able to take it in a bit more than the first.
Q: If you could change anything in racing, if you had a magic wand, is there one thing that irks you looking on from afar?
Every year, jumps racing is coming under more and more pressure.
It seems it’s a worrying time for racing. Lord Allen has come and gone as chairman of the BHA. Racing has to really get its house in order and show genuine leadership. Otherwise, the sport will face huge problems.
Q: How would you preserve it? What would you like to see?
The worrying thing for me is the sport keeps giving in on something, especially over the National, to try to appease the antis. Every year they’ve given more. They’ve cut the field down and made the fences smaller.
A few years ago, there was a survey that said the insurance premiums are as much for a racehorse in a paddock as they are actually for steeplechasers that are in training.
The racehorse unfortunately is a very delicate animal and it’s prone to injury. It can get injured in a paddock with its mates galloping around it around the paddock; you get broken legs, horses kick each other.
They are the best looked after horses in the world. That’s the worrying thing about a race and they keep giving ground. Where do you stop?
Q: You had to retire with a neck injury but you subsequently embraced charity work and also these extreme adventures. What drives you and what was the motivation for those epic journeys like the one to the South Pole?
I was able to do it, we were able to get funding for it. Looking back at the South Pole, it’s the most difficult thing I’ve done but was the most rewarding experience.
It was the chance to push ourselves to the absolute limit. It was almost 1,000 kms and we reached the pole via a previously unconquered route aimed at retracing Shackleton’s intended path.
I lost three stones. Doug Stoup, an American, ended up with snow blindness. Another member of the party, James Fox, had to be airlifted out. He fell ill halfway through the expedition.
It was pretty hairy. We were in the middle of a crevasse field for a couple of days. We were pulling a sled; we set off with about 120 kilos of stuff. We had all the fuel, all our gear and food enough for 60 days. It took 48 days in the end; but we had to take extra food in case we were caught in a snowstorm.
Q: What about another different challenge that of Strictly Come Dancing?
Yes, I did it. It was a challenge and in those days, it paid very well. Would I do it again? No, definitely not. I’ve been asked to do other things as well like The Jump.
Looking back, there are some great stories. Just walking up, we’re doing the first dance, the group dance.
Phil Tufnell turns around to me and asks if I was nervous. I said yes, terrified, and wasn’t looking forward to it at all. He said he was too. He said, ‘I’d rather be in the MCG facing Glenn McGrath, than walking up these stairs.’
It was a phenomenal experience. To be fair, I’m quite glad I went out as early as I did. It was daunting.
I was in Mongolia leading a riding holiday and I had to start a race called the Mongol Derby. They’d asked me to do that and talk to the riders before the race.
But then I was riding around in the middle of Mongolia, and I get this call on my mobile. I was told I might be on the show but maybe only a 15% chance as a replacement for a guy whose wife was pregnant.
They asked me to come back and film the credits just in case. So, I came back on the Thursday, filmed the credits, and went back to start the Mongol Derby race.
My thinking was I’ve probably got a year to get ready and practice for the show. Then I get a call saying the chap’s wife was quite ill, he couldn’t do it and I was in.
I landed in London on the Monday after starting the Mongol Derby and I had three weeks to try and get something together! That was my excuse.
Q: You probably got more from Strictly than you did winning the National!
Yes, certainly the first National, probably earned 10 times more.
