Rip Bissill

1908 -1983

William Rippon ’Rip’ Bissill was born on November 29, 1908, the son of National Hunt jockey and trainer Billy Bissill, who had finished second in that year’s Grand National on Mattie Macgregor, having opted to ride him instead of stable companion Rubio who went on to win. Billy had married a daughter of the successful amateur rider Rippon Brockton, hence his son’s nickname.

Known throughout his life as ‘Rip’, he rode solely as an amateur and had his first mount under NH rules on Leasingham Ross in the Farmers’ Hurdle at Quorn Hunt on April 28, 1924, finishing unplaced. He had to wait nearly four years for his first winner, that being achieved on Lady Biddy in the Leicestershire Hunt Chase at Melton Hunt on March 19, 1928.

He finished second on Imari in the 1930 Liverpool Foxhunters’ Chase, run then over the full Grand National distance of 4 miles 856 yards, but went one better the following year on Hank, who beat Pelorus Jack by a neck in a tight finish to give Rip his greatest success in the saddle.

He finished joint fourth in the 1932/33 amateur riders’ table with 10 wins. However, his best season numerically was in 1933/34 when he rode 13 winners. They included a treble at Market Rasen on May 7, 1934, winning the Selling Handicap Hurdle on Star of Africa, the Amateur Riders’ Hurdle on Damask Steel, and the Hunters’ Chase on Quicksand. He was completing a hat-trick on Quicksand, having won hunter chases on him at Carlisle in March and Tarporley in April. Rip also finished third on Ballinguile II in that season’s Liverpool Foxhunters’ Chase.

He rode a total of 64 winners during his career, the last of which came at Tenby on August 21, 1935 aboard Roman General, who justified odds of 7-2 on by winning the three-mile Tenby Chase in a canter.

He relinquished his permit to ride as an amateur in March 1936, having been granted a licence to train under National Hunt rules, taking charge of the family’s stables at Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, following the death of his father.

Rip did, however, make a brief comeback to race-riding, possibly because of the shortage of available jockeys during World War Two. He had his final mount when finishing unplaced on Philadelphe in the Gresham Selling Handicap Hurdle at Southwell on March 3, 1941.

Rip’s brother Jack rode as a professional and enjoyed considerable success over jumps before embarking on a training career. Their sister Mary married Malton trainer Pat Rohan.

Rip Bissill died on December 28, 1983, aged 75.