Jack Berry

Jack Berry's career as a journeyman jockey is simply related ... during twelve years in the saddle, he rode forty-seven winners and suffered forty-six fractures.

The son of a butcher, he was born on October 7, 1937, at 57, Glensdale Grove, East End Park, Leeds. Aged 16, he became apprenticed to W. A. (Charlie) Hall at Towton, near Wetherby, on January 4, 1954.

He had his first ride in public on Sussex Way, trained by Charlie Hall, in the Apprentice Handicap at Pontefract on Saturday, May 22, 1954, finishing fourth. He actually passed the post in fifth place but was promoted to fourth when the second-placed horse was disqualified for boring and crossing and placed last.

Jack’s first ride under National Hunt rules was for South Milford trainer Cliff Boothman on Dombleue in the Devils Water Selling Handicap Hurdle at Hexham on April 30, 1956, finishing eighth of the nine finishers.

His red-letter day arrived on Easter Monday, April 22, 1957, when riding his first winner on 10-1 shot Sarsta Girl in the Bilton Hurdle at Wetherby, beating Larry Wigham on the 11-8 favourite King James by a neck, with Barney Cross a length further back in third on Blue Hussar.

He missed the next two seasons, having been called up for National Service, which he served in the Royal Artillery. When he returned to Towton, he found rides hard to come by, with Paddy Farrell and Pat Gulwell getting most of the mounts. He joined Roy Whiston and had a few rides for the yard but none with a winning chance, which led him to move again and join Doncaster trainer Harry Maw as head lad cum stable jockey.

Having ridden just one winner in both the 1959/60 and 1960/61 seasons and two in 1961/62, he managed four in the ‘Big Freeze’ 1962/63 campaign including Wetherby’s Montague Hurdle on Too Slow for Hawick trainer Harry Bell.

He achieved a career-best score of 17 in the 1963/64 season, making a bright start with a Market Rasen hurdle race double in September with Teneuji for Uttoxeter owner-trainer Arthur Birch and Beechwood for Walter Wharton. Je won on another of Birch’s hurdlers, Powalgarh, at Uttoxeter in October, with Teneuji winning again at Ludlow later that month.

At Wetherby on October 3, 1964, the three-mile Otley Handicap Chase was the first jump race of the of the season televised by the BBC. Jack was riding Candy, alongside Roy Edwards on Peacetown coming to the second last fence where Peacetown fell, leaving, leaving Candy well clear. But then Candy ran out at the last. Jack steered him back to jump the fence as Roy Edwards was remounting Peacetown while Eric’s Star (the only other survivor), who had been tailed off a fence behind, was closing on them both. Candy successfully negotiated the last fence at the second attempt and went on to win, causing TV commentator Peter O’Sullevan to comment afterwards that if all races had as much incident as that we were in for an interesting season.

Jack rode 10 winners during that 1964/65 campaign, including Royal Guard in the Cragside Selling Handicap Hurdle at Rothbury on April 10, 1965, which was the last day’s racing at the Northumberland venue.

He won five races during the 1965/66 season including Wetherby’s Montagu Hurdle for a second time on Vittorio. But Wetherby was also the scene of his worst injury when, on March 11, 1967, a second-flight fall from selling hurdler Big Star resulted in a leg fractured in five places.

It was Easter Saturday, April 13, 1968 at Carlisle before he was able to return to the saddle. He had three rides that day, the last of which, novice chaser Oban Bay, fell and broke Jack’s wrist.

Jack rode his last two winners on Camasco for trainer Colin Dukes at Wetherby on April 17, 1969 and Eric Collingwood’s Koh-I-Kan in the Martnaham Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Ayr on May 20, 1969.

He had his final ride on Pollibrio, finishing unplaced in division two of the Christmas Juvenile Hurdle at Wetherby on Boxing Day 1969. By then he had taken out a trainer's licence and had already saddled his first winner, Camasco (having acquired him off Colin Dukes), ridden by Tony Potts, in the Earlston Selling Handicap Hurdle at Kelso on December 16, 1969.

In 1972 Jack, his wife Jo and their young family moved to what was then a semi-derelict farm in Crumbles Lane, Cockerham, between Preston and Lancaster. From there they created Moss Side Racing Stables. Once established, Jack regularly sent out over 100 winners per season.

He said at the time: “I’m not particularly bothered about beating my best score. If I can keep knocking in 100 every year I’ll be happy. It takes a bit of doing, and there are always a few heartaches and traumas along the way.”

He held a long-cherished dream to win the Ayr Gold Cup: he did so with So Careful in 1988.

A fraction of the best horses he sent out were Mind Games, Paris House, Touch Boy, Bri-Eden, I Don’t Mind, Sabre Rattler, O. I. Oyston, New City, Glenzier Lad, Duffle Coat and Clantine.

Ever inventive, he was the first trainer to carry commercial advertising on horses.

On Tuesday, March 5, 1985, Jack’s 20-year-old son Sam fell from Solares at Sedgefield, fracturing his skull. Miraculously, he recovered, but his riding days were over. When well enough, he bought himself an apartment at the Mar y Sol resort, Teneriffe, designed for the disabled.

One Christmas, Jack visited him and could see the good it was doing his son.

“I counted the other ex-jockeys I knew who would benefit from it,” he said “and by the time I went home, I was determined to bring them out here.”

So began his dedication to helping injured jockeys.

Jack had trained at Moss Side for three decades, sending out 1,657 winners: once retired he and Jo, his wife, held their first charity barbecue at their new abode, just outside the village of Hunton, North Yorkshire, on August 18, 2002.

Together they raised a massive £21,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

A second one for the following year was immediately planned with a target of £30,000 set and a building society account in the Injured Jockeys Fund name was opened in Hunton Post Office in the village.

Jack sent an old school friend, Eddie Foster, a copy of his book ‘One To Go’. Eddie responded by sending Jack a cheque for £20 which was put straight into the account.

Just £29,980 to go!

Jack started phoning around for racing memorabilia: Henry Candy was the first to respond with a racing plate (plus a letter of authenticity) worn by sprinting champion Kyllachy when winning the Nunthorpe.

Aidan O’Brien sent Jack a framed and signed photo of Rock of Gibraltar which was bought by Sir Alex Ferguson for £2,200.

(The horse was named by trainer George Moore’s son, Gary. Every year staff at the Coolmore Stud are invited to name a yearling: each pick a name which goes into a ballot box. Gary, who worked at Coolmore at the time, chose Rock of Gibraltar.)

It was George Moore who bought a photo of crippled Shane Broderick driving his specially-adapted sports car for £200.

Gifts, to be auctioned, poured in over the next twelve months as word spread: so, too, donations of all size.

The final target reached was £62,766.

Such was Jack’s continuing efforts that, on Monday, April 20, 2015, Jack Berry House was opened.

Containing a state-of-the-art gym and a hydrotherapy pool, this rehabilitation centre for northern-based jockeys is a fitting tribute to a giant among fund-raisers and true champion of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Jack’s tireless enthusiasm and outstanding contribution to the welfare of both current and former jockeys was deservedly recognised when awarded an MBE.