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photo courtesy Chris Pitt
Roger Alan Wernham was born on 8 November 1955 and lived at 5, Park Lane, Wantage, Oxon.He started his working life in the livery yard of ex-jockey Alan Honeybone.
Then, following Alan's advice, served a six-year apprenticeship with Frenchie Nicholson before riding as a freelance.
Aged 17, he rode his first winner, Pharaoh's Call (left), at Chepstow on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28, 1972.Roger's best season, numerically, came in 1974 when he rode 20 winners.
His biggest win came on Lottogift in the 1975 Cambridgeshire.
He nominated Attivo, (below) on which he won both the Chester Cup & the Northumberland Plate, as the best horse he'd ridden.
In the mid-seventies, Roger packed his bags & saddle and re-located to Hong Kong to try to improve his lot.
He found it terrific fun as did his wife, Chris, who gave riding lessons there. Roger married Chris on February 16, 1982.
Roger rode there successfully for four years (based with Gordon Smyth, who had won the Epsom Derby with Charlottown).
He returned to Britain in 1982 but struggled to find rides and contacts. He said in 1988: 'Things are going a bit better now. I've had six winners so far, but you need to win on good horses at places like Sandown to get back.'
That July (Thursday, 14) he rode a 149-1 double at Chepstow: Lexia (9-1) and Cream & Green (14-1).
July, 1988, Roger (nearside) wins a valuable handicap at Sandown on ShabanazÂ
After quiting the saddle, he set up pre-training stables at Wantage and broke in yearlings for the likes of Richard Hannon, Marcus Tregoning and Eve Johnson Houghton.
Away from the saddle, Roger enjoyed walking his dog and golf.
He often attends Oxford Greyhound Stadium where he has his own dogs in training.
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