Dennis Buckle 

1929-1994

Born in Leeds on May 16, 1929, Dennis Buckle was one of the many apprentices brought on by Malton trainer Ernie Davey. Dennis served his apprenticeship with Davey from 1944.

His first win came at Thirsk on Saturday, 24 August 1946 when, replacing Billy Nevett in the saddle, he took the 3.30, the Boltby Two-Year-Old Selling Plate, on Lady Alruna, catching the 7-4 on favourite Player, ridden by Ken Gethin, in the last 100 yards and then surviving an objection on grounds of boring.

He became champion apprentice twice; in 1947 with 20 winners – including a quickfire start by winning Lincoln’s Brocklesby Stakes on Margaret Ann – and for a second time the next year, with 25 wins.

Dennis had a major operation in 1949 which kept him out of the saddle for a year. In 1950, he went to ride in India where he was well-liked and gained a reputation for being good with difficult horses.

Back home, he had his best season in 1964 with 27 victories, but opportunities gradually grew scarcer, wins dropped to single figures, and after failing to register a winner at all in 1968, he rode just one in 1969. He had what proved to be his final success in England on 33-1 outsider Punchy, trained by Vic Mitchell, in a three-year-old maiden at Beverley on August 26, 1970, one of four winners that season. Soon afterwards, he left to continue his career on the Continent.

Dennis rode a total of 267 winners in Britain. He finished his riding career in Austria where he enjoyed a fair measure of success.

He rated his career highlights as winning the Irish Free Handicap and the Welsh Stewards’ Cup, the latter on Shandrim Queen in 1954.

Dennis Buckle passed away in Leeds in November 1994, aged 65.

He had married Amy Evelyn Vaughan on March 25, 1949. They had three children:  a daughter, Linda – the eldest, born in 1951 – and two sons, Stuart and Christopher.

Linda contacted Jockeypedia in 2015 to let me know that Dennis’s great-granddaughter, aged seven, was already riding (in Australia) and winning blue ribbon firsts.

She is the only family member to take after Dennis.