Hayhurst, Stan

Stan Hayhurst was born at Carville, near Durham on 4 September 1933, and was the jockey on board when, in 1958, Kerstin became only the fourth mare to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Trained by Major Verly Bewicke at Close House, in Wylam, Northumberland, she had finished runner-up the previous season when ridden by George Milburn, with whom Stan shared stable rides.

Stan, recalling the highlight of his career, said; 'It was very exciting for a mare from this part of the country to win the cup. We won £5,700 which was a substantial amount of money back then, but not compared with what they earn now.'

Stan also rode Kerstin to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup and Manchester's Imperial Leather Chase in 1959.

Stan's first winner came on 30 October, 1950, winning getting Carpact home at Hexham.

His last ride had come on Artic Explorer at Sedgefield on May, 31, 1973, after which he announced his retirement. Aged 39, he swapped the saddle for a newsagent's and confectioner's shop in Consett, in the north-east of England.

In 1974 he became a racecourse judge before, in 1982, becoming a steward at the Newcastle, Hexham and Sedgefield racecourses.

He finally retired in 2007.

It was in Kenya that Stan served his National Service. From there he listened (on forces radio) to the Grand National of 1956 and to the collapse of Devon Loch. Amazingly, on that day, Stan had his one and only ride in a hurdle race in Kenya.

He rode Wise Child in the 1958 National but the horse 'didn't have a lot of scope and just didn't jump the fences', as Stan put it later. He pulled up at the second big ditch.

In the 1967 National, he rode Castle Falls to finish fourteenth.

Stan rode Easter Pirate to win the 1970 Scottish Champion Hurdle and Vice Regent to win the 1964 Eider Chase.

He rode a total of 301 winners.