Jeff Pearce
Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
Jeff Pearce is now a successful Newmarket trainer. However, prior to taking out a trainer’s licence he had been a journeyman National Hunt jockey for some 15 years. He rode around 90 winners during that time but endured more than his share of injuries. He suffered fractures of his leg, thigh and collarbone and twice broke his jaw before a final, career-ending fall at Southwell.
Jeff Pearce is now a successful Newmarket trainer. However, prior to taking out a trainer’s licence he had been a journeyman National Hunt jockey for some 15 years. He rode around 90 winners during that time but endured more than his share of injuries. He suffered fractures of his leg, thigh and collarbone and twice broke his jaw before a final, career-ending fall at Southwell.
Jeffrey Norman Pearce was born at Thornbury, Worcestershire on October 6, 1947. He was apprenticed to Toby Balding. He had one of his first rides on a horse belonging to Bill Shand Kydd called Jo, who refused in a Towcester novices’ chase on October 7, 1967. He rode Jo a few times the following season, managing a third-place finish at Windsor in December 1968 but otherwise it was a case of either pulling up or ending up on the deck.
Jeffrey Norman Pearce was born at Thornbury, Worcestershire on October 6, 1947. He was apprenticed to Toby Balding. He had one of his first rides on a horse belonging to Bill Shand Kydd called Jo, who refused in a Towcester novices’ chase on October 7, 1967. He rode Jo a few times the following season, managing a third-place finish at Windsor in December 1968 but otherwise it was a case of either pulling up or ending up on the deck.
It wasn’t until he started to ride for Bury St Edmunds trainer Derek Weeden that matters
It wasn’t until he started to ride for Bury St Edmunds trainer Derek Weeden that matters
improved. He finally rode his first winner on Fascination in a conditional jockeys’ selling hurdle at Plumpton on February 21, 1972. He won on him again next time out at Catterick on March 6 and again at Fakenham on Whit Monday.
improved. He finally rode his first winner on Fascination in a conditional jockeys’ selling hurdle at Plumpton on February 21, 1972. He won on him again next time out at Catterick on March 6 and again at Fakenham on Whit Monday.
Fascination was also the first of seven winners Jeff rode in the 1972/73 campaign, scoring at Huntingdon on August Bank Holiday Monday. He then won a couple of selling hurdles on Derek Weeden’s Blackpool Rock at Folkestone in September and Huntingdon in October. He ended the season with a Whit Monday double at Fakenham on hurdlers Comci Comca and Croftamie, both for Derek Weeden.
Fascination was also the first of seven winners Jeff rode in the 1972/73 campaign, scoring at Huntingdon on August Bank Holiday Monday. He then won a couple of selling hurdles on Derek Weeden’s Blackpool Rock at Folkestone in September and Huntingdon in October. He ended the season with a Whit Monday double at Fakenham on hurdlers Comci Comca and Croftamie, both for Derek Weeden.
Weeden was again the main supplier of Jeff’s six wins the following term, including back-to-back wins four days apart on novice chaser Racer Jess, at Fakenham on December 22 and at Huntingdon on Boxing Day 1973. However, he also ventured south-west to win on Tony Pipe’s Quicksilver in the City of Plymouth Handicap Hurdle at Devon & Exeter on Whit Monday 1974, his third winning Whit Monday running.
Weeden was again the main supplier of Jeff’s six wins the following term, including back-to-back wins four days apart on novice chaser Racer Jess, at Fakenham on December 22 and at Huntingdon on Boxing Day 1973. However, he also ventured south-west to win on Tony Pipe’s Quicksilver in the City of Plymouth Handicap Hurdle at Devon & Exeter on Whit Monday 1974, his third winning Whit Monday running.
A succession of injuries restricted him to just three winners over the course of the next two seasons, but he managed to ride four in 1976/77, including a late season double at Market Rasen on May 28 aboard Tashunka for Peterborough trainer Pam Sly and Porto Rico for Newmarket handler Hugh Collingridge.
A succession of injuries restricted him to just three winners over the course of the next two seasons, but he managed to ride four in 1976/77, including a late season double at Market Rasen on May 28 aboard Tashunka for Peterborough trainer Pam Sly and Porto Rico for Newmarket handler Hugh Collingridge.
Porto Rico proved a friend to Jeff, getting him off the mark for the next two terms, at Fontwell on August 10, 1977, and twelve months later at Market Rasen on July 28, 1979, the opening day of season. Once again, however, they were injury-interrupted campaigns.
Porto Rico proved a friend to Jeff, getting him off the mark for the next two terms, at Fontwell on August 10, 1977, and twelve months later at Market Rasen on July 28, 1979, the opening day of season. Once again, however, they were injury-interrupted campaigns.
His fortunes changed for the better in 1979/80, which proved numerically his best with 20 winners, including two on Neil Callaghan’s News King and finishing off with Prince Yoyo at Huntingdon.
His fortunes changed for the better in 1979/80, which proved numerically his best with 20 winners, including two on Neil Callaghan’s News King and finishing off with Prince Yoyo at Huntingdon.
He had another good season in 1980/81 with ten winners. He won twice on Prince Yoyo at Newton Abbot: the Ladbroke West Country Handicap Hurdle in August and the Wombat Challenge Cup in September. More importantly, he won three times on what would be the best horse he rode during his career, that being Captain John, trained at that time by Fiddler Goodwill. They began by winning a Huntingdon novices’ chase on February 24, 1981, won the valuable Jack of Newbury Novices’ Chase next time out on March 7, then returned to Newbury three weeks later to land the Betterton Chase easily by seven lengths. Jeff’s final winner that term was Mick Ryan’s novice chaser Merchant Tubs – of whom more later – at Market Rasen on the final day of the season.
He had another good season in 1980/81 with ten winners. He won twice on Prince Yoyo at Newton Abbot: the Ladbroke West Country Handicap Hurdle in August and the Wombat Challenge Cup in September. More importantly, he won three times on what would be the best horse he rode during his career, that being Captain John, trained at that time by Fiddler Goodwill. They began by winning a Huntingdon novices’ chase on February 24, 1981, won the valuable Jack of Newbury Novices’ Chase next time out on March 7, then returned to Newbury three weeks later to land the Betterton Chase easily by seven lengths. Jeff’s final winner that term was Mick Ryan’s novice chaser Merchant Tubs – of whom more later – at Market Rasen on the final day of the season.
Jeff had every reason to look forward to the 1981/82 campaign and it started brightly enough, with a double at Fakenham on September 25 aboard course specialist Prince Carlton and Geoff Fletcher’s Moonvein in the Pudding Norton Handicap Hurdle. The following day he won the Market Rasen Chamber of Trade Cup Handicap Chase on Captain John. On October 2 he won a novice hurdle at Wincanton on Alan Bailey’s Hiya Judge, the 3/1 favourite.
Jeff had every reason to look forward to the 1981/82 campaign and it started brightly enough, with a double at Fakenham on September 25 aboard course specialist Prince Carlton and Geoff Fletcher’s Moonvein in the Pudding Norton Handicap Hurdle. The following day he won the Market Rasen Chamber of Trade Cup Handicap Chase on Captain John. On October 2 he won a novice hurdle at Wincanton on Alan Bailey’s Hiya Judge, the 3/1 favourite.
Three days later, Jeff went to Southwell to ride Merchant Tubbs in a handicap chase. The horse fell at the eight fence and Jeff suffered a hangman’s fracture of his neck. At the time he had no idea of the severity of his injury. It was only when he got home that it became so painful that he went to the local hospital.
Three days later, Jeff went to Southwell to ride Merchant Tubbs in a handicap chase. The horse fell at the eight fence and Jeff suffered a hangman’s fracture of his neck. At the time he had no idea of the severity of his injury. It was only when he got home that it became so painful that he went to the local hospital.
The injury took a long time to mend. He had hoped to be back by Christmas but doctors advised against it. Instead, Jeff and his wife Lydia went on a two-week holiday to America, travelling around Florida and going racing at Hialeah. He then sharpened up for his return with a two-week stay at the Camden Town Medical rehabilitation Centre in London, spending seven hours a day exercising, including sessions in its heated swimming pool. He was finally given the all-clear by his Cambridge specialist to resume riding in March 1982.
The injury took a long time to mend. He had hoped to be back by Christmas but doctors advised against it. Instead, Jeff and his wife Lydia went on a two-week holiday to America, travelling around Florida and going racing at Hialeah. He then sharpened up for his return with a two-week stay at the Camden Town Medical rehabilitation Centre in London, spending seven hours a day exercising, including sessions in its heated swimming pool. He was finally given the all-clear by his Cambridge specialist to resume riding in March 1982.
However, the comeback did not materialise and he announced his retirement soon afterwards. He became assistant trainer to Frank Durr at Fitzroy House, Newmarket before taking out a licence in his own name in 1986.
However, the comeback did not materialise and he announced his retirement soon afterwards. He became assistant trainer to Frank Durr at Fitzroy House, Newmarket before taking out a licence in his own name in 1986.