Jamie Butchard

Jamie Butchard

William James Langrishe Butchard – better known as Jamie Butchard – was born in Singapore on October 7, 1956, the son of Major Colin Butchard. His mother, Glenda, came from the Curtis family of baronets.

He lived in the village of Little Everdon, near Daventry, Northants, and began his racing career with Gay Kindersley before joining Edward Courage’s Banbury stable. He rode his first winner on Courage’s mare La Gingold – a home-bred daughter of Tamoretta – in a 17-runner novice chase at Warwick on November 20, 1976.

The following month, on December 22, Jamie was first past the post on Courage’s top-class chaser Royal Relief – who he subsequently rated the best he rode – in the John Clare Handicap Chase at Towcester. Unfortunately, they were disqualified on grounds of crossing on the run-in, the race being awarded to Number Engaged, ridden by Bill Smith. Ironically, Number Engaged had been a multiple winner over fences and hurdles when owned and trained by Courage – he was by Quorum out of another of Courage’s mares, Neapolitan Lou – prior to being purchased by Adrian Pratt and sent to Fulke Walwyn’s Lambourn stables.

Later that season Jamie scored a high-profile victory when landing the Mirabel Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle on Quickapenny – a daughter of Neapolitan Lou – at Aintree’s 1977 Grand National meeting.

Jamie rode in amateur Flat races during the summer of 1977, winning twice on Neville Callaghan’s Champagne Willie, first at Hamilton and then in the valuable Kyle Stewart Amateur Riders’ Stakes at Newmarket on June 25. He also won that year’s German Amateur Derby, known as the Damen Preis, at Baden-Baden.

He lost his 7lb claim when winning on the Sue Morris-trained Le Jet at Taunton on October 13, 1977. Soon afterwards he left Edward Courage’s stable to join David Morley at Bury St Edmunds. He rode 12 winners as an amateur before turning professional in 1978.

His first season in the paid ranks, 1978/79, proved to be his best season, riding 15 winners. One-third of those came courtesy of Sue Morris’s four-year-old Charlton Fox, who won five in a row. They scored at Newton Abbot and Devon & Exeter in August, Newton Abbot and Cheltenham in September, and completed the five-timer at Taunton on October 5. Towards the end of that season, he won three races within a fortnight in May on another Morris-trained hurdler, Monsieur Esclave, at Taunton, Hereford and culminating in the Needwood Turf Accountants’ Challenge Cup Handicap Hurdle at Uttoxeter on May 17, 1979.

The following season started well, winning novice chases on David Morley’s Grass Hand at Southwell in August and on Monsieur Esclave at Wincanton in September and Taunton in October, but the remainder of the season was not as successful as the one before.

Jamie’s career was relatively short. He was a professional for only three years, retiring in 1981.

He married Robin Campbell Smith in September 1992. They had three children: Emma (born 1993), William (born 1995) and Eliza (born 1997).

Jamie Butchard died on August 24, 2022, aged 65.