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Photo courtesy John Griffiths
Jack Berry's career as a journeyman jockey is simply related...during twelve years in the saddle he rode forty-seven winners and suffered forty-seven fractures.
The son of a butcher, he was born on October 7, 1937, at 57, Glensdale Grove, East End Park, Leeds, and became apprenticed to W. A. Hall.
Jack rode his first winner on Sarsta Gri at Wetherby on Bank Holiday Monday, April 22, 1957, and it was at the same course in 1967 that his riding career came to an abrupt end when Big Star fell, fracturing Jack's leg in five places.
He had started out in 1952 as a Flat race apprentice, switching to National Hunt racing the following year.
His best wins had come in the Wetherby Montague Hurdle which he won in both 1963 & 1966.
The Craigside Selling Handicap Hurdle at Rothbury, 10 April, 1965.
Left to right: Don Giovanni (Eric Campbell, 5th), Skyscape (Johnnie East, 3rd), Royal Guard (Jack Berry, 1st) & Dillingburgh (Phil Harvey, pulled up).
Photo courtesy Chris Pitt
On May 30, 1981, the whole Berry family were in action: Jack rode at Kempton while his wife, Jo, and two sons, Alan & Martin, all rode at Ayr.
Everything changed for Jack when he took out a trainer's licence in 1969. Having been Head Lad with H. S. Moore, he took over the Moss Side Racing Stables in Crumbles Lane, Cockerham, Lancaster, and, once established, regularly sent out over 100 winners per season.
He said at the time: 'I'm not particularly bothered about beating my best score. If I can keep knocking in 100 every year I'll be happy. It takes a bit of doing, and there are always a few heartaches and traumas along the way.'He held a long-cherished dream to win the Ayr Gold Cup: he did so with So Careful.
A fraction of the best horses he sent out were Mind Games, Paris House, Touch Boy, Bri-Eden, I Don'y Mind, Sabre Rattler, O. I. Oyston, New City, Glenzier Lad, Duffle Coat & Clantine.
Ever inventive, he was the first trainer to to carry commercial advertising on horses.
On Tuesday, March 5, 1985, Jack's 20-year-old son Sam fell from Solares at Sedgefield, fracturing his skull.
Miraculously, he recovered, but his riding days were over. When well enough, he bought himself an apartment at the Mar y Sol resort, Teneriffe, designed for the disabled.
One Christmas, Jack visited him and could see the good it was doing his son.
'I counted the other ex-jockeys I knew who would benefit from it' he said 'and by the time I went home, I was determined to bring them out here.'
So began his dedication to helping injured jockeys.
Jack had trained at Moss Side for three decades, sending out 1,657 winners: once retired he and Jo, his wife, held their first charity barbecue at their new abode, just outside the village of Hunton, North Yorkshire, on 18 August, 2002.
Together they raised a massive £21,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund.
A second one for the following year was immediately planned with a target of £30,000 set and a building society account in the Injured Jockeys Fund name was opened in Hunton Post Office in the village.
Jack sent an old school friend, Eddie Foster, a copy of his book 'One To Go'. Eddie responded by sending Jack a cheque for £20 which was put straight into the account.
Just £29,980 to go!
Jack started phoning round for racing memorabilia: Henry Candy was the first to respond with a racing plate (plus a letter of authenticity) worn by sprinting champion Kyllachy when winning the Nunthorpe.
Aidan O'Brien sent Jack a framed and signed photo of Rock of Gibraltar which was bought by Sir Alex Ferguson for £2,200.
(The horse was named by trainer George Moore's son, Gary. Every year staff at the Coolmore Stud are invited to name a yearling: each pick a name which goes into a ballot box. Gary, who worked at Coolmore at the time, chose Rock of Gibraltar.)
It was George Moore who bought a photo of crippled Shane Broderick driving his specially-adapted sports car for £200.
Gifts, to be auctioned, poured in over the next twelve months as word spread: so, too donations of all size.
The final target reached was £62,766.
Such were Jack's continuing efforts that, on Monday, 20 April, 2015, Jack Berry House was opened.
Containing a state-of-the-art gym and a hydrotherapy pool, this rehabilitation centre for northern based jockeys is a fitting tribute to a giant among fund-raisers and true champion of the Injured Jockeys' Fund.
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