Ronald Harrison

Ronald Harrison

1908-1981

Article by Alan Trout

In a career compromised by the Second World War, Ronald Arthur Harrison was 37 years old when he had his first winner under National Hunt rules. Over the next decade he amassed a total of 52 wins, 17 of them at Fontwell Park, with a career best score of 12 in the 1947/48 season. 

Born on February 15, 1908, he had his first ride in England soon after the war ended, at Fontwell Park on November 3, 1945, when Overflow whipped round at the start of the Emsworth Novices’ Hurdle (Division 3) and was soon tailed off, trailing home last of the 13 finishers. It was an uninspiring introduction but at least things could only get better. They soon did.

The following month, at Catterick Bridge on December 21, he enjoyed a much easier time when Perivale, trained at Epsom by Vic Smyth, was a comfortable winner of the Kirby Juvenile Hurdle by three lengths. He recorded a treble at Fontwell Park on March 30, 1946, winning all three divisions of the Westergate Novices’ Hurdle, landing division 2 on Liquidamber for Vic Smyth and divisions 1 and 3 on Eastern Abbas and Gay Lussac for fellow Epsom trainer Staff Ingham. 

Back at Fontwell on May 4, 1946, Vic Smyth put Ron up for the second time on the five-year-old National Spirit in the Middleton Novices’ Hurdle (Division 3). The pair had been unplaced on their previous start together but now beat Watchit by four lengths. They won again at Plumpton two weeks later. When National Spirit completed a hat-trick at Fontwell on June 10 it was in an amateur riders’ race and John Hislop was the man on board. National Spirit went on to win the next two renewals of the Champion Hurdle, ridden by Danny Morgan in 1947 and Ron Smyth in 1948.

Ron struck up a useful partnership with royal trainer Peter Cazalet, winning six races on his chaser Counselette during 1947, one of them on a disqualification. Their last win together was in the Whitelaw Challenge Cup at Fontwell on November 6, 1947. 

The only major race that Ron rode in during his career came to an abrupt end when his mount Fil d’Or II ran out at the third flight when lying in fourth place in the 1950 Imperial Cup at Sandown. 

Another good horse Ron rode for Peter Cazalet was Rose Park, winning four chases on him in the winter of 1951/52. However, by the time the seven-year-old contested the 1953 Cheltenham Gold cup, where he fell two out when leading, Tommy Cusack was in the saddle. Michael Scudamore had the mount on the day Rose Park landed the 1956 King George VI Chase. 

Ron had retired by that time. His final win was at Plumpton on September 20, 1954, when Munster King II took advantage of the fall of the clear leader Eagle Lodge five fences out and won the Novices’ Chase by six lengths. He had his final ride in the 1955/56 season. 

Ron Harrison died in June 1981, aged 73. His son, Ronald Richard Harrison, was also a successful jump jockey with over 50 wins to his credit between 1952 and 1964, including the 1960 Whitbread Gold Cup. Son and father did occasionally rode against each other towards the end of the latter’s career..  

Ronald Harrison’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Perivale, Catterick Bridge, December 21, 1945

2. Eastern Abbas, Fontwell Park, March 30, 1946

3. Liquidamber, Fontwell Park, March 30, 1946

4. Gay Lussac, Fontwell Park, March 30, 1946

5. Gay Lussac, Fontwell Park, May 3, 1946

6. National Spirit, Fontwell Park, May 4, 1946

7. National Spirit, Plumpton, May 18, 1946

8. Flame Of Fire, Fontwell Park, June 10, 1946

9. Counselette, Fontwell Park, May 24, 1947

10. Counselette, Buckfastleigh, June 7, 1947

11. Counselette, Newton Abbot, June 14, 1947

12. Counselette, Fontwell Park, September 22, 1947

13. Counselette, Fontwell Park, October 13, 1947

14. Tacitus, Cheltenham, October 17, 1947

15. Counselette, Fontwell Park, November 6, 1947

16. Scone, Kempton Park, December 27, 1947

17. Tudor Lewis, Plumpton. January 3, 1948

18. Croix d’Or II, Nottingham, February 3, 1948

19. Windsor Light, Nottingham, February 4, 1948

20. Aghavannagh, Fontwell Park, February 12, 1948

21. Crimson Lake, Sandown Park, March 12, 1948

22. Sidmouth, Fontwell Park, March 18, 1948

23. Crimson Lake, Huntingdon, May 17, 1948

24. Zarter, Doncaster, November 26, 1948

25. Eole II, Wye, October 3, 1949

26. Ur, Plumpton, October 17, 1949

27. Zarter, Plumpton, November 14, 1949

28. Moutiers, Wincanton, December 26, 1949

29. Zarter, Fontwell Park, February 7, 1950

30. Hal’s Venture, Fontwell Park, May 29, 1950

31. Duke Of Rheims, Fontwell Park, October 2, 1951

32. Rose Park, Sandown Park, November 23, 1951

33. Rose Park, Hurst Park, December 22, 1951

34. Rose Park, Cheltenham, January 1, 1952

35. Rose Park, Sandown Park, January 18, 1952

36. Diego Rubio, Wye, March 20, 1952

37. Diego Rubio, Wye, April 20, 1953

38. Diego Rubio, Newton Abbot, May 15, 1953

39. Diego Rubio, Buckfastleigh, May 23, 1953 

40. Diego Rubio, Buckfastleigh, May 25, 1953 

41. Victoria V, Fontwell Park, September 29, 1953

42. Valley Field, Wye, November 2, 1953

43. Domaghmore, Plumpton, November 18, 1953

44. Victoria V, Plumpton, December 2, 1953

45. Victoria V, Plumpton, January 6, 1954

46. Florogen, Hurst Park, January 14, 1954

47. Domaghmore, Plumpton, February 24, 1954

48. Domaghmore, Windsor, March 11, 1954

49. Valley Field, Windsor, March 11, 1954

50. Victoria V, Lingfield Park, March 18, 1954

51. Victoria V, Fontwell Park, March 31, 1954

52. Munster King II  Plumpton, September 20, 1954