Brian Barker

Brian Barker

Article by Chris Pitt

Brian Barker achieved easily his biggest success when winning the 1970 Daily Express Triumph Hurdle on Varma at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting.

Brian Thomas Barker was born on June 14, 1951, the son of a Plumpton gamekeeper. He served his apprenticeship on the Flat with Mick Masson and rode his first winner, aged 18, on 33/1 outsider Speedy Turn in a back-end three-year-old maiden at Newbury on October 23, 1969.

He then took out a jump jockey’s licence for the 1969/70 season and rode six winners over hurdles, including Mick Masson’s Varma, owned by Charles Clore, in the Triumph Hurdle

at Cheltenham on March 19, 1970, taking the lead approaching the last and staying on to beat Ken White’s mount Inishmaan by three-quarters of a length.

Brian got off the mark for the 1970/71 campaign when winning on Mick Masson’s novice hurdler Bay Wreath at Plumpton in September. On October 23, he was reunited with Varma at Newbury, where they comfortably landed an appropriate victory in the Wyld Court and Tom Masson Trophy Hurdle, Tom Masson being the father of Varma’s trainer Mick.

Next time out, Varma started long odds-on but was surprisingly beaten by Canasta Lad and Quintus in the Lansdown Hurdle at Cheltenham, after which Brian was replaced by senior jockey David Mould, who had ridden Varma to win his first race the previous season. Mould went on to win that season’s National Spirit Challenge Trophy at Fontwell on Varma. Brian never rode him again. The horse was transferred to Fulke Walwyn’s stable the following season.

Brian completed his apprenticeship with Mick Masson at the end of 1972, having ridden four winners on the Flat and eleven over jumps.