Slack, George

On Monday 3 October 1938, he secured his first placing when finishing third on Arrowhead in the Rufford Abbey Maiden Apprentice Plate at Nottingham.

George went on to ride over 500 winners, his greatest triumph coming on Bandalore when that horse won the 1958 Champion Hurdle.

In 1940, he broke his thigh in a schooling accident, thus putting back his military service.

The war over, George resumed his career and won his first race on Skipper, a 20/1 shot, at Wetherby in May, 1947.

He became stable jockey to Charlie Hall, whose stables lay in Towton, near Tadcaster.

In 1953, Hall provided George with his first Grand National ride, Witty. The combination had already won the Eider Chase  and the Haydock National trial. In the National, Witty hit Becher's so hard that George was catapulted from the saddle.

At the start of the following season, he was replaced as stable jockey to the ill-fated Paddy Farrell, so he took up an option to ride for Bobby Renton at Ripon.

The partnership was immediately successful with George winning the Molyneux Chase on Little Yid and the Becher Chase with Freebooter.

The next year, Little Yid and George were back at Aintree, winning the Topham Trophy. 

Then came the National. George was to ride Tudor Line. He had already won on the horse, at Ayr that January and at Sandown. Bobby Renton then sent the horse to the Cheltenham Festival and once again it obliged.

Tudor Line came to Liverpool in the form of its life, and George truly felt he could win. That confidence was shattered at the first fence which Tudor Line hit so hard he almost fell. From then on, having frightened himself, he started to hang badly to the right. At the Canal Turn, the horse seemed to straighten himself out and improved dramatically. He was just two lengths behind Royal Tan as they jumped the last, but Bryan Marshall's mount began tiring badly. George seized his chance and he gave Tudor Line a smack. The horse responded gamely and rapidly drew almost alongside Royal Tan. The winning post came 10 yards too soon for him. George was beaten just a neck with Irish Lizard a well-beaten third.

Some compensation came when, five days later, George won the Scottish Grand National on Queen's Taste.

The next year, George was once again second in the great race, this time beaten twelve lengths by Quare Times. His incredible bad luck in the race continued in 1958 when, for the third time, he came second yet again, being beaten some thirty lengths by Mr What.

George suffered a career-threatening fall at Catterick on January 4, 1956, shattering his shoulder and was told that he might lose his arm. A London specialist told him that if he operated, his arm would be useless and he would never ride again. One month and eleven operations later, he left Harrogate General Hospital and spent the next 21 months recovering, missing the entire 1956/57 season.

With his wife, Peggy, he moved to Skillington. Initially he couldn't get a fork up to his mouth, but gradually the strength returned and he was able to get a job as a farm manager. 

Peggy knew all about jockeys' injuries. Her own father, Billy Speck, had died from injuries received five days earlier in a fall at Cheltenham (April, 1935). Peggy had been five at the time. Her brother, Vic Speck, also a jockey, had suffered his share of injuries too. 

Incredibly, the use of his arm returned and he was soon back riding. George continued to work on the farm as well, but found the two occupations incompatible, and gave up riding, but not before one last hurrah at Aintree.

He went up to watch the race, but when Terry Biddlecombe was injured earlier in the afternoon, he found himself riding Kingstel for his father-in-law.

Kingstel fell at Becher's, knocking George out and breaking the jockey's leg.

George retired from the saddle that day.

He stayed involved with racing, acting as judge at National Hunt and point-to-point meetings, including Garthorpe, his local point-to-point course.

George died, aged 79,  exactly 45 years to the day on which he won the Champion Hurdle leaving his wife of 52 years, Neil, his son, and daughters Christine and Joanna.

A memorial service was held at Colsterworth Church on Friday, May 2, at noon.