George Hartigan

George Christopher Hartigan was born in Chichester on July 25, 1936. He was a leading amateur rider during the first half of the 1960s, winning a total of 28 races – 26 over jumps plus two on the Flat – including the 1963 Becher Chase on his own horse Lizawake.

George rode his first winner on 8-1 chance Polecat, trained by Crediton permit holder Edwin Pike, in the Devonshire Chase at Devon & Exeter on September 8, 1960. His second win came on Lizawake, trained by Pat Moore at Newmarket, in division two of the Gopsall Maiden Hurdle at Leicester on January 7, 1961.

Later that season he won a pair of selling hurdles on Crack O’ Dawn for Chulmleigh, Devon owner-trainer Reg Keenor, followed by an Easter Monday winner on Pat Moore’s St Kilda in the Litcham Handicap Hurdle at West Norfolk Hunt (as Fakenham was then known), finishing the campaign with a score of five.

He enjoyed his most successful season in 1961/62 with eight wins, the first of them on veteran selling hurdler White Paint for owner-trainer Bertie Hill at Devon & Exeter. Next came victory on Famous Knight in the Hatchett’s Restaurant Handicap Chase for amateur riders at Plumpton at the end of September, a sponsored race offering a winner’s prize of £501 15s, well above average for the time. He then rode Lizawake to win two chases within five days at Birmingham and Stratford, before adding a Plumpton novice chase on Swindon Belle resulting in his claim being cut from 7lb to 5lb.

Pat Upton’s selling hurdler Jenny Wren II gave George his first win as a 5lb claimer at Warwick on November 25, followed five days later by Lizawake at Market Rasen, making it five wins in just over a fortnight. Despite that surge of winners, he registered only one more all season, that being on Major Eldred Wilson’s good hunter chaser Essandem at Doncaster in February.

George rode just four winners in the 1962/63 season, comprising a pair of early season chases on Pat’s Boy and a brace of handicap chase victories on Lizawake in the Charles Lewis Cup at Uttoxeter at Easter and the Fred Withington Challenge Cup at Towcester in May.

But the best was yet to come because, after starting the season with success at Market Rasen, Lizawake landed Liverpool’s Becher Chase over the Grand National fences on the first day of November 1963, giving George his greatest day in the saddle. He won a pair of chases on Bold Biri in December but there were no more winners for the rest of the campaign.

Professional jockey Bobby Beasley took over on Lizawake for the 1964 Grand National, only to fall at the Chair. Lizawake carried on loose, jumping every fence perfectly and without causing any interference. He even quickened in the closing stages and went past the winning post just in front of the eventual winner, Team Spirit. George rode Lizawake in the 1965 Grand National, pulling up at the 26th fence when out of contention.

With over 350 rides and 24 winners in five seasons of riding, George was among the best amateurs of the first half of the 1960s. From thereon, however, he cut down on his riding commitments. He failed to ride a winner in 1965/66 and had only one in the next four seasons, that being on his own horse Lyon Wood, trained by Pat Moore, in an Ascot novices’ hurdle in February 1967. He did, though, manage two for trainer Bill Marshall in amateur riders’ flat races, firstly on 25-1 outsider Walmer Tower at Ascot in October 1969, then on evens favourite Caspar at Teesside Park (Stockton) on March 28,1970.

George rode his last winner on Irish Lad, owned and trained by Sidney Banks, in the Mansfield Novices’ Chase at Southwell on December 7, 1970, one of just six rides he had that season. He gave up race-riding soon after.

As for Lizawake, he ended up as a successful show-jumper, negotiating six-foot fences at the likes of Wembley, ridden by top show-jumper Tom Brake.

George Hartigan’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Polecat, Devon & Exeter, September 8, 1960

2. Lizawake, Leicester, January 7, 1961

3. Crack O’ Dawn, Lingfield Park, March 16, 1961

4. Crack O’ Dawn, Newton Abbot, April 1, 1961

5. St Kilda, West Norfolk Hunt (Fakenham), April 3, 1961

6. White Paint, Devon & Exeter, August 23, 1961

7. Famous Knight, Plumpton, September 27, 1961

8. Lizawake, Birmingham, November 13, 1961

9. Lizawake, Stratford-on-Avon, November 18, 1961

10. Swindon Belle, Plumpton, November 20, 1961

11. Jenny Wren II, Warwick, November 25, 1961

12. Lizawake, Market Rasen, November 30, 1961

13. Essandem, Doncaster, February 3, 1962

14. Pat’s Boy, Wincanton, September 20, 1962

15. Pat’s Boy, Uttoxeter, September 27, 1962

16. Lizawake, Uttoxeter, April 16, 1963

17. Lizawake, Towcester, May 11, 1963

18. Lizawake, Market Rasen, September 21, 1963

19. Lizawake, Liverpool, November 1, 1963

20. Bob Sawyer, Taunton, November 9, 1963

21. Pandy’s Slipper, Uttoxeter, December 7, 1963

22. Bold Biri, Birmingham, December 10, 1963

23. Bold Biri, Cheltenham, December 16, 1963

24. Nelson, Stratford-on-Avon, October 1, 1964

25. Lyon Wood, Ascot, February 22, 1967

26. Walmer Tower, Ascot, October 11, 1969

27. Caspar, Teesside Park (Stockton), March 28, 1970

28. Irish Lad, Southwell, December 7, 1970.