Paul Burgoyne 

1952 - 2023

Born on June 25, 1952, National Hunt jockey Paul Victor Burgoyne served a three-year apprenticeship with Toby Balding and rode his first two winners for East Ilsley trainer Roddy Armytage, beginning with Dragon Hill in the Pulborough Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Fontwell Park on January 15, 1974. 

Seven weeks later, on March 2, he rode 20-1 shot Mr Flyer to land the 26-runner Highclere (4yo) Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury. That victory was the biggest of his riding career which comprised around 30 winners.

He nominated Fighting Taffy as the best horse he ever rode. Paul teamed up with him throughout the 1977/78 campaign, by which time the horse was past his best. Nonetheless, they won a competitive handicap hurdle at Worcester and were placed three times in good company during that season. 

Living at Veor Farm, West Street, Childrey, Wantage, he married Deborah Beese on April 9, 1977. She gave him two sons, Mark & Simon and a daughter, Lucia.

Having retired from the saddle, Paul subsequently began training at Wantage in 1981 and celebrated a winner with his first runner, when Long John won a selling hurdle at Newton Abbot in October that year.

He enjoyed his best season in the training ranks with ten winners in 2010, including four-time winner Irene Kennet.

Paul was a popular figure on southern tracks, especially on the all-weather circuit, and as a trainer he had the knack of getting the best out of mainly modest material.

Primarily a Flat trainer, he was later based at nearby Childrey and then Upper Lambourn before settling at Shepton Montague, near Wincanton. His most successful horse was West Leake, who ran in exactly 100 races on the Flat, winning eleven (ten of them when ridden by Liam Keniry) and finished in the frame on another 37 occasions.

He bowed out from the training ranks on a high in February 2018, when his final runner, Runaiocht, won on the all-weather at Kempton under Oisin Murphy.

Paul Burgoyne died on October 2, 2023, aged 71.