Gifford, Macer

In an e-mail to Jockeypedia, Sarah Gifford described her late husband as a wonderful husband and father, 

plus an absolute gentleman.

'Macer (writes Sarah) was really a country lad/man at heart. His father was Thomas Gifford who was a retired farmer and rode in point-to points in his younger days, and his mother Diana had been a Norland Nanny before she was married. Macer was the youngest of three children, Joshua, Susan and Macer. For one week of the year at the end of July, their ages ran concurrently.

Macer got his name through his great grandmother who was a Maomi Macer.

He went to the local village school as a child, and when that closed he attended the C of E primary school in Huntingdon. From there he went on to Huntingdon Secondary Modern as it was then (now St Peter's).

He was an average student but was very popular. He enjoyed sport but his ponies at home were his great love. When he left school he went to Moulton Agriculture College which was also attended by many of his local farming friends. 

While there, he played for the cricket and football teams.

He left with a National Certificate of Agriculture.

He then went on to work on his Uncle George's farm (The Grange) which he later inherited along with his brother Joshua.

Macer loved all things to do with the countryside and farming. He also enjoyed hunting and shooting though mainly for the social sides of these activities.

He was a people person and a gentleman. He was also a member of the Young Farmers & Jockey's cricket team.

After starting his racing career he became quite a local celebrity and was involved with many money raising functions. He would always enter into the spirit of the occasion, be it a donkey derby or judging a beauty contest.

One of his sayings was 'No colour like red...no sport like hunting...' I think it was the colour red he liked, not necessarily the hunting.

He loved animals...his dogs Nipper, Tara and Pirate (those were the ones I knew he had) and, of course, his cattle.

Macer Charles Gifford, who rode Larbawn to win the 1968 Whitbread Gold Cup, died of Motor Neurone disease on May 23, 1985, and left an estate valued at £587,886.

Born on July 27, 1944, he lived at Winning Post, Little Stukeley in Huntingdon and was retained by M. L. Marsh, who sent out horses from Alveston Pastures in Stratford-on-Avon.

The highlight of Macer's career came in the Whitbread Gold Cup, but he also won the Horse & Hound Cup, Golden Miller Chase, George Duller Hurdle, Royal Worcester Porcelain Chase, Tom Coulthwaite Chase & the Free Handicap Hurdle.

Numerically, his best season came in 1965-66 when he scored 27 times.

Photos sent in by Mark Day