Underwood, Grenville

Grenville William Ernest Underwood was born on February 27, 1932, at Edingley, Nottinghamshire, although he later settled in Sutton Coldfield, on the

outskirts of Birmingham. He was apprenticed to Wally Drinkwater and rode his first winner, Hop Leys, (right) at Stratford on January 16, 1954.

He reached the pinnacle of his career in 1957 when winning the Champion Hurdle on Merry Deal  having

also won Doncaster’s Princess Royal Hurdle on him the previous month, as well as the 1956 Victory Hurdle at Manchester. Merry Deal  (left) was certainly the best he rode during his career.

Little over a fortnight after winning the Champion Hurdle, Grenville had his sole ride in the Grand National on Cherry Abbot, falling at Becher’s first time round. However, he enjoyed

better fortune over those big Aintree fences two years later when winning the 1959 Topham Trophy on Clanyon (right).

In 1960 he suffered a bad neck injury in a fall, although he continued riding for another season. He rode his last winner on Landing Strip (below) in a maiden hurdle at

Uttoxeter on April 4, 1961. His final ride was on Lotoray (finished fifth) at Towcester on Whit Monday, May 22, 1961. He retired having ridden a total of 48 winners.

Grenville passed away peacefully at home on December 20, 2015 after a brief battle with cancer. He has left a wife, Georgina, three daughters, Margaret, Jennifer and Cindy, and five grandchildren. His funeral took place on January 6, 2016 at Salisbury Crematorium.

From The Time, March 1957