National Hunt jockey Malcolm Ewart rode 29 winners during the 1950s, registering his biggest success in the Worcester Royal Porcelain Handicap Chase, before his career was ended by a serious injury.
Before embarking on a career over jumps, Malcolm had served his apprenticeship with Gerald Armstrong at Middleham. He rode two winners on the Flat, both in 1948. His first victory was when riding Margo’s Choice to a dead-heat with Messina, partnered by George Leason, in the Lowland Apprentice Handicap at Hamilton Park on May 22.
His second win came on The Barker in the Wishaw Selling Plate at Lanark on September 1, scoring by three-quarters of a length. In his next two runs, both with Malcolm up, The Barker finished plumb last.
He then began his jumping career, still based with Gerald Armstrong, and rode his first winner in that sphere on Mary Scott in the Gretna Handicap Hurdle at Carlisle’s Easter meeting on Saturday, March 24, 1951. He did not ride in the following two seasons, possibly due to National Service obligations.
Malcolm returned to action in 1954, having joined Tom Yates’ stable at Letcombe Bassett, in Berkshire, and rode his comeback winner on Belle Esprit at Hereford in September. His five winners that term included a Wincanton double in April 1955 on two of Yates’ hurdlers, Upton Court and Salmon Prince. He rode five more winners the following season.
He enjoyed easily his most successful campaign in 1956/57 when booting home 13 winners, all of them for Tom Yates. They included three winners at Towcester’s two-day Easter fixture, notching a hurdle race double aboard The Bell and Misty Night on the Saturday and landing the two-mile handicap chase on Bob Tailed ’Un on Easter Monday.
The following season, Bob Tailed ’Un gave Malcolm his biggest day in the saddle when winning the Worcester Royal Porcelain Handicap Chase on March 24, 1958. The following month he rode what was to be his last winner on Crescendo III in the Roddy Baker Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at Stratford on April 17.
Later that year Malcolm was badly injured when his mount Canterbury Bell fell in a selling hurdle at Worcester on October 18, 1958, necessitating his retirement from the saddle.