National Hunt jockey Barry Hales Beard began his racing career as an apprentice with Fulke Walwyn. Being light, he had a few rides for Walwyn on the Flat but didn’t manage to ride a winner, coming closest when second, beaten a neck, on Tartan Muse in a Worcester apprentices’ race on July 2, 1961.
Barry took out a National Hunt jockey’s licence for the 1964/65 season. However, he had to wait a couple of years before registering what proved to be his sole success, aboard 15-8 favourite Horspath Lad to a five lengths victory in division one of the Snitterfield Novices’ Selling Hurdle at Stratford on October 1, 1966.
On April 1, 1967, Barry married Miss Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the 19-year-old daughter of Lambourn trainer Jack Dowdeswell. Jack had trained Barry’s winner Horspath Lad
He continued to hold a NH jockey’s licence until the 1969/70 season but rode no more winners.
