David winning on Autonomy at Alexandra Park in 1959
David Western Ballard was born in 1942. He served his apprenticeship with former National Hunt jockey Maurice Moroney at Diggle, near Oldham, and rode his first winner on Double Light in a one-mile selling handicap at Wolverhampton on Tuesday, August 5, 1958. They followed up at Newmarket later that month.
David rode three winners from 59 mounts in 1959, two of them on selling handicapper Quiver II for Tarporley trainer Jack Mason. He registered a single victory from 54 rides in 1960, that being on Hoy for Epsom trainer Sid Dale.
Later that year he took out a National Hunt jockey’s licence for the 1960/61 season, achieving his first win in that discipline on the Sid Dale-trained Momentous at Worcester on March 6, 1961. His other winner that term was also for Dale, a filly named Bessie at Taunton in April.
In those days, riding over jumps prohibited an apprentice from being able to claim an allowance on the Flat thereafter. Hence, David took out a professional jockey’s licence for 1961 but relinquished it in July.
He rode over jumps in the 1962/63 season and as a freelance on the Flat in 1963 but had no more winners. He last held a National Hunt jockey’s licence in 1966/67 but, again, enjoyed no further success.
David Ballard’s winners were, in chronological order
1. Double Light, Wolverhampton, August 5, 1958
2. Double Light, Newmarket, August 23, 1958
3. Quiver II, Worcester, May 9, 1959
4. Quiver II, Redcar, July 28, 1959
5. Autonomy, Alexandra Park, September 28, 1959
6. Hoy, Nottingham, May 24, 1960
7. Momentous, Worcester, March 6, 1961
8. Bessie, Taunton, April 22, 1961
