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Photo courtesy of Mary Pitt
Brian Harding won the inaugural running of Cheltenham's cross-country chase. Riding McGregor The Third, Brian came home a worthy winner of the sporting Index Chase, but the race was marred by tragedy when that grand 13-year-old servant, Leagaune, dropped his hind legs into the ditch, pitched forward and broke his back on top of the bank.
Reduced to tears, his jockey, Simon McNeill, said: 'It could have happened at any fence, anywhere.' Simon was anxious not to blame the new course.
Brian Harding's own day of tears came on Friday, April 3, 1998.
He was on board that most popular of horses, the grey One Man, and bowling along in front in the Mumm Melling Chase at Aintree.
Then - disaster! One Man misjudged the ninth and took an horrendous, fatal fall.
Brian said later: 'It was the worst day of my life. Horses fall with you all the time but One Man was very upsetting.'
His death also shattered his cancer-ridden Greystoke trainer, Gordon Richards, who died just a few months later.
Brian was born on 26 September, 1972, in Castletownroche, County Cork, the same village as Jonjo O'Neill.
Brian's father, a dairy farmer, was also a point-to-point trainer. Hence Brian's passion for horses which saw him join trainer Kevin Prendergast and ride five winners on the flat for him.
Increasing weight dictated that Brian was never going to be a Flat jockey: having left Prendergast he joined Gordon Richards and, on Saturday, 17 October, 1992, rode his first winner, the 5/2 shot Palm House at Kelso.
Brian went on lose his claim when riding 30 winners the next season (95-96) but then, on Monday, 16 December, he took a career-threatening fall from Show Your Hand at Newcastle, fracturing his skull.
Brian's first recollection after the accident was seeing his girlfriend on Christmas morning and, after that, watching One Man's success in the King George Vl Chase at Kempton.
Brian saw a consultant just before Cheltenham, expecting clearance for his return to the saddle. Instead, he was told that - since a 30-second tremor in one of his legs after the fall had been construed as a 'fit' - he would be banned from racing for twelve months.
Brian said at the time: 'It came as a total shock. Since then, I sometimes thought the year would never end. Apart from cursing the doctors, I have been working as a stable lad during the summer and riding out trying to get fit.'
That June Brian married is girlfriend: they spent their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. He also went back to his home in Co Cork.
Twelve months is a long time away from a racecourse and Brian was grateful that he worked for Gordon Richards. Had he been at a smaller stable he could have found himself out in the cold, but Richards remained loyal.
On December 16, 1997 - exactly a year to the day that he had fractured his skull - he returned to racing, taking rides at Musselburgh.
Brian got his big chance after stable jockey Tony Dobbin broke a thumb and was unable to take the ride on One Man in the 1998 Queen Mother's Chase at Cheltenham.
Many top jockeys contacted Richards seeking to replace Dobbin, but the loyal trainer stuck with his stable's number two jockey.
In the event, One Man skated home over the two mile track, so putting Brian firmly on the map.
After Gordon Richards had died, his son, Nicky, took over the licence and it was him that Brian first rode in the National, partnering Feels Like Gold in 1999.
Though 30 pound out of the handicap, Feel Like Gold put up a spirited run until fading two out.
Brian's first win over the fences in Ireland came in 2004 at Fairyhouse. Riding Granit d'Estruval in the Irish Grand National (Easter Monday) Brian sprung a 33/1 surprise, coming home an easy winner.
To date (2014) Brian's best ride in the Grand National has been Simply Gifted in 2005 when coming third to Hedgehunter.
Brian first rode a winner in 1992. By July 22, 2014, he had ridden 379 winners.
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