Winter, Fred

Fred Winter senior, father of Fred, had, before the First World War, been a teenage prodigy as a jockey. He was just 16 when he won the Oaks during a season in which he also became Champion Apprentice.Fred Junior was born on September 20, 1926 in Cherimoya, a bungalow named after Fred Senior's Oaks winner and which stood in Andover, Hampshire. Fred Junior had one brother, Johnny, and two older sisters, Sheila and Pat. All four were keen on horses, but none as fanatical as young Fred. His pony was called Snowball, and Fred, at the age of four and a half, would ride out each morning with his father's string. Snowball had been passed on to Fred by a boy two years older. His name was Dave Dick and he was to become a lifelong friend.Fred was 13 years old and weighed 5 stone 7 pounds when his father decreed that he was ready for his first race ride. This necessitated permission from Fred's headmaster at Ewell College; this was granted and, having made their way to Newbury racecourse, Fred was given the leg-up in the paddock on Tam O'Shanter by his proud father. Because of his tender years, Fred was cheered back to the unsaddling enclosure - not bad for a rider who had finished ninth of twenty-one.

His first win came on his eighth ride: riding Tam O'Shanter at Salisbury on Friday May 31, 1940.  When, a fortnight later, he won for a second time on the same horse, a decision was made that Fred would leave Ewell College and start work instead at the Newmarket stables of Henry Jelliss, a friend and weighing-room colleague of his father's.

With his own stables in the doldrums, Fred Senior wanted the greatest opportunities for his son

Fred Junior moved into lodgings in Nat Flatman Street which lay just behind Newmarket High Street.

That season, in the summer of 1941, he rode eighty times on the flat - but just two winners. His weight was also beginning to creep up. Uncharacteristically, he suffered a loss of motivation, and, packing his bags, rejoined his father at Southfleet as a stable-lad.

Having worked briefly in a factory in West London repairing damaged aircraft, he spent six months as a stable-lad at Epsom.

Whatever plans or ambitions young Fred, then 18, had were put on hold; he joined the Army and became a qualified parachutist. He served four years and his demob came in 1948.

He was now 22; too heavy to consider riding again on the flat. He was also sorely lacking qualifications for a job outside racing so once again he returned to his father.

With few, if any options, Fred decided to try his luck over the sticks and, at Kempton Park's 1947 Boxing Day meeting, made his debut on a four-year-old hurdler called Bambino lll. They finished fifth, both exhausted.

Fred had only a few hours to wait for his first winner; next day, on Carton, he held the horse up in mid-field and challenged at the final fence. Fred won by six lengths.

He suffered the first serious fall of his career when breaking his back at Wye andhe was forced out of the game for twelve months. During this convalescence his sister, Pat, married the flat jockey Doug Smith, and an old friend, George Archilbald, turned up and offered Fred the chance of some race-rides for him when Fred was fully fit.

Fred returned to racing in September 1949; bookmakers made his mount, Carton, favourite. They trailed in last as, arguably, Fred seemed more concerned with getting round safely than winning.

His first ride for George Archibald came a few days later at Plumpton, a hurdler called Dick the Gee. He won comfortably, attracting, in doing so, the attention of trainer Captain Ryan Price. By the end of that season, Fred was riding as Price's stable-jockey - it was a partnership that would last an incredible 16 years.

Their first season together, 1950-51, produced 38 winners from 221 rides. Fred also took 18 falls. That Spring, April 7, 1951, Fred faced the Grand National Stater for the first time. Riding Glen Fire for Warwickshire trainer Syd Mercer, he fell.

In August that year, Fred rode a treble at Plumpton and promptly announced that he would never ride over the Plumpton fences again. In twelve starts, he had got round only once. John Francome and Peter Scudamore were other jockeys who hated riding there.

In November, 1952, Dave Dick was seriously injured at Cheltenham leaving his boss, the redoubtable Dorothy Paget seeking a replacement jockey. Fred was approached.

That season, with both Ryan Price and Dorothy Paget contributing winners, Fred became champion jockey for the first time riding 121 winners. This record-breaking figure stood for 14 years. Sea Bird, at Newton Abbot on August 15 had been the first of the 121, Gribun, at Fontwell Park on May 25, the last.

That year he had ridden his first big race winner, Halloween, in the King George Vl Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Halloween was a quirky horse, having deposited two competent professional riders on the deck: Fred discovered that the horse ran best when not being organised and allowed to race freely.

Fred rode the 98th winner of the season when steering home Clair Soliel in the Triumph Hurdle, then run at Hurst Park. His 100th winner came in front of the Queen at Sandown Park on Imperial Cup day. Riding Air Wedding, he needed all his determination to win by a short head.

Fred went on to win three Champion Hurdles and a Grand National for Captain Price before retiring from the saddle in 1964 and going on to become one of the great champion trainers of the sport.

Fred's active involvement with racing came to an end one August evening in 1987 when he tumbled down the stairs of his Uplands home. This accident severely limited his mobility; it had also made speech or writing virtually impossible.

Fred died on April 5 2004, aged 77.

He was champion jockey on four occasions and the leading trainer eight  times. He had won the Grand National in his first two seasons as trainer.

His successes as a rider included two Grand Nationals (Sundew and Kilmore); two Cheltenham Gold Cups (Saffron Tartan and Mandarin); three Champion Hurdles (Clair Soleil, Fare Time and Eborneezer); three King George VI Chases (Halloween twice, and Saffron Tartan); and the Grand Steeplechase de Paris.

Winter Tales

John Francome became Fred's stable jockey in the 1975-76 season.

He recalls: 'We never had three cross words between us in all the years I rode for him. He never gave me a bollocking after a race. It wasn't his way. He knew what it was like to ride and how easily things could go wrong. He was no different when you rode a winner. You might get a 'Well Done' off him. If he was really pleased he might give you a pat on the back. He wan't a great talker, just the odd grunt or nod. Driving to the races with him, you might get three sentences off him. He had no sense of humour at all - he would never, ever tell a joke.'

Fred would go to church every Sunday. He said 'I am not a deeply religious man but I seldom miss going to church and it has been a great comfort to me. It helped to get down and pray for courage, which I did quite often.'

Fred's lifelong friend was Dave Dick: they shared the same desk at school and, having to ride out, first lot, every morning, had special permission to arrive at eleven o'clock so long as they stayed to do an hour's extra work in he afternoons. 

Dave said: 'That didn't always happen. Cycling to school together in the mornings, we would dream up all kind of dodges. We spent more time playing truant than we did at school, but all we wanted to do was ride horses.'

Fred's first racecourse fall, from a horse called Bright Boy, absolutely terrified him. He said after: 'It was the first real pain I ever had in my life. We fell at the second last and the thought of horses coming over the fence and landing on top of me frightened the life out of me. I go up and dived underneath the rails before they arrived.'

John's brother explained. 'Fred wasn't a natural steeplechase jockey. In fact, he found it very hard. It was a job to him, a job he was determined to conquer because he had no wish to go into anything else. And the first thing he had to conquer was the fear which made him dive under the Kempton rails.'

Fred detested schooling horses. Without the interest, he never remotely mastered the art of it. Dave Dick recalled: 'It got to the point where no one would even ask him. I think he schooled once for Fulke Walwyn and that was the end of it. Fulke didn't ask him again.'

'Snowy' Davis was the travelling head lad of Ryan Price, a position he held for 31 years. He recalled that a Winter-ridden winner for the stable would bring out Fred's generosity. 'Our wages were poor,' he recalled. 'I was on £13 a week and Fred knew this. He would quietly ask how many lads I had with me then give me some money to take them out to dinner.'