Born in Winchester on December 1, 1972, amateur rider Chris Bonner rode 54 winners during an eleven-year career. He recorded his most important success on the Jeremy Glover-trained Cogent in the 1994 Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby.
Chris had an enviable record around Aintree, failing to finish the course just three times from fourteen rides. Most notably, he finished third in the 1995 Grand National on 100-1 outsider Over The Deel.
He rode in four consecutive Grand Nationals altogether. Following his third-place on Over The Deel, he finished fourth on 33-1 chance Sir Peter Lely in 1996, then partnered two more 100-1 shots, finishing 14th on Pink Gin in 1997 and pulling up Winter Belle at the 21st fence in 1998.
In addition to his Grand National rides, Chris finished second and sixth in two Becher Chases, third in the only running of the Sefton Chase in 1997, two fourths from three rides in the Topham and completed the course in three Liverpool Foxhunters. The only blot on his Aintree record was a first fence fall on his last ride there in the 2000 Foxhunters which resulted in him breaking a leg.
Chris announced his retirement from the saddle after finishing seventh of nine on the Andrew Balding-trained Tarnawa in the Moet & Chandon Silver Magnum (the amateurs’ Derby) at Epsom on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28, 2000.
He became assistant to trainer Michael Bell but a year later emigrated to Australia to take up a similar position.
