National Hunt jockey Geoffrey Burgess rode for five seasons during the mid-1950s and amassed a total of ten winners. He scored his first success on a hurdler called Primed at Uttoxeter on March 21, 1953, his only victory that season. He registered scores of two, three and four during the next three seasons.
He rode pretty much exclusively for Marsham, Kent trainer Richard Kennett. His last win for Kennett came on selling hurdler Grand Coast at Warwick on November 19, 1955.
Two days later he won on a spare ride named Prince Walvis for Yorkshire trainer Jim Twibell in an eventful six-runner novice riders’ selling chase at Wolverhampton. Two of the six unseated their riders at the first fence, another did so at the third. Of the three survivors, one was brought down on the flat while another fell at the tenth. With all five rivals out of the race shortly after halfway, Geoff and Prince Walvis were left in splendid isolation, only for them to fall at the second last fence. Geoff quickly remounted, cleared the last and Prince Walvis went on to finish alone.
That was the tenth success of Geoff’s career, resulting in his claim being reduced to 5lb. He continued riding for Richard Kennett for a couple more seasons but failed to add to his tally of wins.
Geoff Burgess’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Primed, Uttoxeter, March 21, 1953
2. Pamela Star (above), Stratford-on-Avon, February 11, 1954
3. Jingle Johnnie, Plumpton, April 17, 1954
4. Pamela Star, Fontwell Park, September 14, 1954
5. Grand Coast, Hereford, November 6, 1954
6. Millionaire, Newbury, January 22, 1955
7. Fall Guy, Folkestone, September 5, 1955
8. Fall Guy, Nottingham, October 25, 1955
9. Grand Coast, Warwick, November 19, 1955
10. Prince Walvis, Wolverhampton, November 21, 1955
