Born on July 16, 1938, Kenneth John Hawke was a prominent amateur rider whose career spanned the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, during which time he rode 35 winners under National Hunt rules. He had his best season in 1960/61 with ten winners. He rode mainly for his father, permit trainer Bill Hawke, who was based at Herodsfoot, Liskeard, in Cornwall.
Ken had his first success on Vain Help in a Newton Abbot selling hurdle on October 19, 1956, his only winner that season. He kicked off the following (1957/58) campaign by winning again on Vain Help on the first day of the season, then won two more races on him within a fortnight and won on him again at Wincanton on Boxing Day and over fences at Newton Abbot’s 1958 Easter meeting. A Buckfastleigh victory on his father’s hurdler Cardinal Star gave Ken a score of six for the season. He rode six more the following season and four the next.
He made a flying start to the 1960/61 campaign with five winners in the first five weeks, two on Vain Help and three on novice hurdler Point Gamma. However, he must have been sad to witness the closure of Buckfastleigh racecourse in August 1960, for he had registered eight winners there during his career. A double at Newton Abbot’s 1961 Easter fixture and three subsequent winners helped him achieve a score of ten for the season.
Ken made yet another good start to the 1961/62 season with four wins within the first three weeks, including two Newton Abbot selling chases on the now 14-year-old Vain Help. But it was eight long months before Coronation Spirit gave him his only other winner of the season. Over a year then elapsed before Point Gamma gave Ken a winning start to the 1963/64 campaign at Newton Abbot in August, and the same horse ended it at Taunton in May.
Moonshine gave Ken the last win of his career in the Taunton Handicap Chase on Bonfire Night 1966. There were no more fireworks for him. Of his 35 winners, Vain Help had been the most prolific contributor with eleven victories. Coronation Spirit won eight, while Point Gamma won five. However, probably the best horse he rode was one he didn’t win on, that being Dark Venetian, who completed the course in two Grand Nationals. Ken only rode him once, in a Newbury novices’ chase in February 1961, and ended up on the deck.
Away from racing, Ken enjoyed water skiing. He is the father of Grand National-winning jockey and now successful trainer Nigel Hawke.
Ken Hawke’s winners under National Hunt winners were as follows:
1. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, October 19, 1956
2. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, August 3, 1957
3. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, August 6, 1957
4. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, August 16, 1957
5. Vain Help, Wincanton, December 26, 1957
6. Cardinal Star, Buckfastleigh, March 22, 1958
7. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, April 5, 1958.
8. Coronation Spirit, Newton Abbot, August 15, 1958
9. Radyne, Ludlow, February 25, 1959
10. Vain Help, Ludlow, February 26, 1959
11. Coronation Spirit, Buckfastleigh, March 28, 1959
12. Fairy Sprite, Buckfastleigh, May 16, 1959
13. Coronation Spirit, Buckfastleigh, May 18, 1959
14. Steffani, Buckfastleigh, August 8, 1959
15. Coronation Spirit, Buckfastleigh, August 29, 1959
16. Coronation Spirit, Newton Abbot, September 2, 1959
17. Willie Can, Buckfastleigh, June 6, 1960
18. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, Vain Help, August 1, 1960
19. Vain Help, Buckfastleigh, August 6, 1960
20. Point Gamma, Newton Abbot, August 12, 1960
21. Point Gamma, Devon & Exeter, August 27, 1960
22. Point Gamma, Devon & Exeter, September 8, 1960
23. Wind Whistle, Newton Abbot, April 1, 1961
24. Patza, Newton Abbot, April 1, 1961
25. Wind Whistle, Cheltenham, April 12, 1961
26. Coronation Spirit, Taunton, April 22, 1961
27. Willie Can, Taunton, May 4, 1961
28. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, August 7, 1961
29. Combatant, Devon & Exeter, August 9, 1961
30. Coronation Spirit, Devon & Exeter, August 10, 1961
31. Vain Help, Newton Abbot, August 19, 1961
32. Coronation Spirit, Newton Abbot, May 25, 1962
33. Point Gamma. Newton Abbot, August 15, 1963
34. Point Gamma, Taunton, May 7, 1964
35. Moonshine, Taunton, November 5, 1966