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photo courtesy Chris Pitt
Michael Nimrod Wilkinson was born on October 25, 1933, the year younger brother of Ben ‘Jumbo’ Wilkinson, the sons of Ben Wilkinson, who had a long career of service as huntsman with the South Durham Hunt. Their grandfather and great-grandfather were also huntsmen and renowned as bold horsemen. Nimrod was so named as it means ‘mighty hunter’.
He became apprenticed to Jack Ormston and rode his first winner, Gainswick, at Sedgefield on September 19, 1953. His only other winner that season was on Hyson at Cartmel’s Whitsun fixture on June 7, 1954.
Nimrod’s early career was interrupted by two years’ National Service but he went on to ride 110 winners altogether, his best season being in 1965/66 with a score of 18.
His biggest win came on Imperator (right) in the 1963 November Handicap Hurdle at Liverpool. He also won the 1962 Bob Wigney Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham aboard Happy Arthur.
However, the best horse he rode was Quelle Chance, on whom Jumbo had finished third in the 1963 Champion Hurdle. Nimrod rode the horse to win his first three races over f
ences, all in the space of 11 days in November 1963, at Newcastle on the 16th, Doncaster on the 22nd, and Haydock on the 27th (left).He rode in just one Grand National, on the grey Forecastle in 1967, pulling up at the water at the end of the first circuit.
He rode his final winner on Sam Hall’s novice hurdler Paddy’s Moon at Southwell on March 15, 1971.
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