Josh Gifford

1941 - 2012

Farmer's son Joshua Thomas Gifford was born in Huntingdon on August 3, 1941, and, despite becoming champion National Hunt jockey, is best remembered for his role as trainer in getting the fragile Aldaniti to the post for the 1981 Grand National.

His racing career began as an apprentice on the Flat, riding for Cliff Beechener and Sam Armstrong. He had his first ride in public, aged 11, when finishing sixth of 11 runners on Controller in the Coveney Apprentices' Handicap at Newmarket on April 28, 1953. 

Josh rode his first winner on Dorsol, trained by Syd Mercer, in the one-mile Baginton Maiden Handicap at Birmingham on July 30, 1956, beating reigning champion jockey Doug Smith on Khorene by a length and a half. 

He rode 50 winners (big races won included the Manchester November Handicap and the Chester Cup) before increasing weight forced him to turn to National Hunt racing in 1958. He registered his first win over jumps aboard Kingmaker in the Orchard Novices Hurdle (Division 1) at Wincanton on December 17, 1959.

Such was his ability that, in the 1962-63 season, he rode 70 winners to become champion jockey, a title which he retained the following season with 94 wins.

Then his luck changed - he broke his thigh in a fall at Nottingham, then fractured it again in a car crash the next summer. This kept him off the course for 15 months; bouncing back, he recaptured his crown in 1966-67 with 122 winners, one more than Fred Winter's record total of 14 years before. He then reinforced his dominance of the racing scene by taking the title again the following season.

Josh was then riding as stable jockey to the mighty Ryan Price, who trained in Findon in West Sussex. Together they had won the 1962 Triumph Hurdle with Beaver II, and, in the same year, the Welsh National with Forty Secrets. 

They won consecutive renewals of the Schweppes Gold Trophy with Rosyth in 1963 and 1964. However, following the latter success, both Josh and Ryan Price temporarily lost their licences.

Josh’s other notable wins included the 1967 Mackeson with Charlie Worcester and the 1969 Whitbread Gold Cup with the Michael Marsh-trained Larbawn.

He was never, as a jockey, to win the National though it may be argued that his 1967 mount Honey End would certainly finished ahead of eventual winner Foinavon given normal circumstances.

Josh's first National ride came in 1962. Riding Siracusa, he came down at the 11th. In his championship-winning season the following year, he rode the headstrong Out And About. Having led for most of the way, the tearaway crashed out at the fourth last, badly impeding the John Lawrence-ridden Carrickbeg who, but for that, would have won the National.

In 1966, Josh finished ninth on Volcano and, the next year, second on the aforementioned Honey End. His other three rides in the great race came on Regal John, who refused in 1968, Bassnet (fifth in 1969) and Assad, seventh a year later.

He rode his last winner on five-year-old Pendil in the John Hare Handicap Hurdle at Plumpton on Easter Monday, March 30, 1970. (Pendil was then in his first season with trainer Fred Winter and had yet to mature into one of the 1970s top steeplechasers.) Five days after that Plumpton success Josh had his final ride when completing the course last of seven finishers on Assad in the Grand National.

Josh married show jumper Althea Roger-Smith in 1970 and promptly retired from the saddle, bringing to an end a career that had brought a total of 693 winners in Britain, 642 over jumps and 51 on the Flat.

That year, still only 28 years old, he bought the Findon stables from Ryan Price and took over as trainer at the historic yard.

The brick and flintstone Downs Stables were built on Stable Lane, Findon, in 1854. The first trainer there was John Day, quickly followed by William Goater. Another early 'trainer' was John Porter (the John Porter Stakes, run at Newbury each year, is named after him). In 1899 the stables were bought by Irishman Bob Gore who won the 1912 Grand National with Jerry M (ridden by Lester Piggott's grandfather, Ernie) and won it again in 1913 with Covertcoat. After Gore died in 1941, Harry Davison trained there until Gore's widow sold Downs Stables to Captain Ryan Price in 1951.

In a sumptuous career, Josh sent out the winners of 1978 Hennessy Gold Cup (Approaching) and Golden Minstrel, who gave him his first Cheltenham Festival winner in 1988. But of course, Aldaniti, winning the National in the hands of Bob Champion would always be recognised as his greatest training feat.

When, in his 32nd season of training at Findon, Josh was able to look back at 1,587 winners with great satisfaction. He had enjoyed a successful career. In 2003 he handed over the reins of Findon to his 31-year-old son, Nick.

Josh died from a massive heart attack on February 9th, 2012. 

His brother, Macer, died from Motor Neurone Disease in 1985.

Big winners:

1956: Manchester November Handicap – Trentham Boy 

1957: Chester Cup – Curry 

1961: County Handicap Hurdle – Most Unusual 

1962: Triumph Hurdle – Beaver II 

1962: Topham Trophy – Dagmar Gittell 

1962: Welsh Grand National – Forty Secrets 

1962: Tote Investors Hurdle – White Park Bay 

1963: Schweppes Gold Trophy – Rosyth  

1963: Mildmay of Flete Chase – Milo 

1964: Schweppes Gold Trophy – Rosyth  

1966: Schweppes Gold Trophy – Le Vermontois 

1966: Topham Trophy – Walpole 

1966: Liverpool Handicap Hurdle – Welcome News 

1967: Schweppes Gold Trophy – Hill House 

1967: Totalisator Champion Novices’ Chase – Border Jest 

1967: Mackeson Gold Cup – Charlie Worcester 

1968: Mildmay of Flete Chase – Merrycourt 

1969: Coventry Handicap Chase – Bassnet 

1969: Whitbread Gold Cup – Larbawn  

1970: Mildmay Memorial Chase – Larbawn  

1970: Stone’s Ginger Wine Chase – Bannon’s Star