Gary Edmunds was born on November 4, 1947, the son of former jockey turned trainer Jim Edmunds, with whom he served his apprenticeship from 1963 to 1968, based at Houndsfield Farm Stables, Wythall, on the outskirts of Birmingham.

Gary achieved his only success on the Flat aboard Reg Hollinshead’s Comedy Boy in a one-mile apprentice handicap at Wolverhampton on 17th August 1963. He also finished second twice on Changing State and twice more on Fair Enchantment, both trained by his father, during that season. But weight curtailed his Flat racing future – he went to the scales at 9st 2lb – so he took out a jump jockey’s licence.

His first victory in that sphere came on Camerina, trained by his father and owned by Dennis Redfern, in a hurdle race at Southwell on 30th August 1965. He also rode for Arthur Abbott, who trained on the outskirts of Henley-in-Arden, at the yard from which Frank Hudson had sent out Sundew to win the 1957 Grand National. Gary won twice on Abbott’s Martial Slipper during the spring of 1966 and also finished sixth on his Stratford Herald in that year’s Welsh Grand National.

He rode only one winner during the 1966/67 season, that being Mr Kakes at Leicester, while the following season ended prematurely when he fractured his skull in September 1967 after being unseated at the first flight by Reel of Gold at Folkestone.                             (Photo Above:) Leicester, 14 January 1967. Mr Kakes, trained by  Jim Edmunds and ridden by son Gary, leads over the last on the way to win  division one of the of the Gopsall Novices' Hurdle

Photo courtesy of Chris  Pitt

Permit holder Sid Pitt, whose stables were at Hanbury, near Bromsgrove, provided Gary with his sole success of the 1968/69 campaign when he rode Tosid to victory at Worcester in August 1968.

However, most of his rides (and winners) were on those trained by his father. They included the grey Miss Colonist, winner of a Wolverhampton handicap hurdle; and Eastern Conflict, described by Gary as being “as tough as old boots,” who won at Warwick in November 1969 and again at Wye the next season.

Gary rode his last winner at Warwick in December 1971. The horse was Backing Britain, who had been Willie Carson’s mount in Blakeney’s (1969) Derby, and had cost Jim just £90 to buy.

He retired in 1974 having ridden a total of ten winners, one on the Flat and nine over jumps. “Bad horses,” says Gary of the reason for giving up. “I rode a bad one at Uttoxeter one day, pulled it up, walked it back and got off, and I thought ‘it’s just a waste of time riding these’.”

Afterwards he did a bit of everything, became a farrier, worked in a factory and drove lorries. “I was shoeing at night and driving during the day time,” he says. “I did that for about fifteen years. We had two children and times were tough, you had to do two or three jobs. There are more opportunities for former jockeys now with the JETS scheme but in those days you had nothing. There were a lot of people like me.”

Gary and his wife Jenny bought Lillicot Farm, a mile or so out of Weatheroak, near Alvechurch, from where he runs a livery yard from the farm and has racehorses out of training and eventers. Their daughter Nadine spent seven years with trainer Ian Williams and has a wealth of experience in the world of eventing, working hunters and showing.

Gary Edmunds’ winners in chronological order were:

1. Comedy Boy, Wolverhampton, 17 August 1963

2. Camerina, Southwell, 30 August 1965

3. Martial Slipper, Warwick, 5 March 1966

4. Martial Slipper, Stratford, 19 May 1966

5. Mr Kakes, Leicester, 14 January 1967

6. Tosid, Warwick, 26 August 1968

7. Eastern Conflict, Warwick, 22 November 1969

8. Miss Colonist, Wolverhampton, 11 January 1971

9. Eastern Conflict, Wye, 10 May 1971

10. Backing Britain, Warwick, 7 December 1971