George Ford

George Ford

Article by Alan Trout

George Ford made a promising start to his career as a Flat jockey with a win on just his second ride in public, but that was all he managed. More than a decade later he fared better as a National Hunt jockey, with seven wins to his credit. 

Apprenticed to leading Scottish trainer John McGuigan, George’s first ride was on an unnamed gelding who finished third of four in the Kyle Two-Year-Old Selling Plate at Ayr on August 9, 1912. Later that same afternoon he went two places better when Tullochgorum, owned and trained by McGuigan, beat nine rivals to land the Carrick Selling Welter Handicap by a neck from Queen’s Treasure, ridden by George McCall. 

Despite a few more rides, George was unable to build on that initial success and was not seen in the saddle for some years. However, on September 24, 1925, he had his second career win when Thief beat The Cubana by three lengths to take the Stewards’ Selling Handicap Hurdle at Perth. George had twice finished second on Thief the previous season, so the five-year-old was not winning out of turn. 

It was not long before George and Thief won again, landing the Ednam Handicap Hurdle at Kelso on October 28, with a third win being achieved at Sedgefield the following March in the Bishop Middleham Handicap Chase on his chasing debut. 

Despite having won on his initial foray over fences, Thief reverted to hurdling, a move which yielded dividends when he won the Summerrods Handicap Hurdle on the Saturday of Hexham’s Whitsun Bank Holiday meeting, with George again in the saddle. 

George had to wait until Hexham’s corresponding meeting the following year for his next winner, when the ever-reliable Thief won the Summerrods Handicap Hurdle for the second year in a row, coming home one and a half lengths in front of Beautiful Maid, ridden by Roland Fawcett. Thief had been consistent, being placed in all bar two of his seven starts in between those two Hexham victories.  

On October 12, 1927, Thief won his last race for George, taking Kelso’s Ednam Handicap Hurdle for a second time. That was the final win of Thief’s career, but there was one more left for George. It came on the six-year-old Buster Brown in the Windlesham Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield on November 2. The winner, trained like Thief by Archie Wybergh, was gaining his first success for over 18 months. George kept the ride on him for his next three, somewhat disappointing, efforts.

He had his final mount at Cartmel on Whit Monday, May 20, 1929, in the Windermere Handicap Hurdle on his old ally Thief, finishing second, beaten a length by the 5-2 favourite Richard Slingsby, the mount of amateur rider Frank Groves.

George Ford’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Tullochgorum, Ayr, August 9, 1912

2. Thief, Perth, September 24, 1925

3. Thief, Kelso, October 28, 1925

4. Thief, Sedgefield, March 23, 1926

5. Thief, Hexham, May 22, 1926

6. Thief, Hexham, June 4, 1927

7. Thief, Kelso, October 12, 1927

8. Buster Brown, Sedgefield, November 2, 1927