Adrian Balmer

Adrian Balmer

Article by Alan Trout

The younger brother of jump jockey Nigel Balmer, Adrian McCulloch Balmer had four wins under National Hunt rules during a career that lasted for five seasons. 

He began as a conditional with Josh Gifford and finished third on his first ride aboard Rube’s Wicket in the Bell & Howell Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton on March 26, 1979. Despite that promising start it would not be until the meeting at Ascot on October 29, 1980 that he had a winner. The five-year-old Surprising Prince, making his seasonal debut and trained by Josh Gifford, had a prolonged duel from the final flight with Dropshot, the mount of Martin Coyle, finally prevailing by a neck in the Valley Gardens Opportunity Handicap Hurdle. 

He doubled his score for the season when 33/1 shot Mullenan, trained by David Barron, with whom Adrian was by then associated, had two lengths to spare at the end of the Hornby Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Catterick on March 11. It was his first ride on the six-year-old who had not been placed in seven previous starts that season.  

It was for David Barron that Adrian made an excellent start to the 1981/82 campaign. On the first day of the season he forced Rejuvenator up to land the Gainsborough Maiden Hurdle (Division 1) at Market Rasem by a neck. Two days later on the same course the pair finished second, beaten a length and a half by Adrian’s brother Nigel on Gaelic Harp. Three more starts on Rejuvenator yielded two places before they struck again at Sedgefield on September 11, winning the Bare Stubble Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) by five lengths. 

Surprisingly, Adrian had no further success, whereas Nigel Balmer would amass a total of 50 wins (6 Flat, 44 jumps). Adrian’s final ride at Kempton Park on December 27, 1982 was a difficult one, with Feast jumping badly left before finishing tailed off in the Boxing Day Handicap Hurdle. 

Adrian Balmer’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. Surprising Prince, Ascot, October 29, 1980

2. Mullenan, Catterick Bridge, March 11, 1981

3. Rejuvenator, Market Rasen, August 1, 1981

4. Rejuvenator, Sedgefield, September 11, 1981