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Dale McKeown was born on January 29, 1965, the brother of successful Flat jockey Dean McKeown. Unlike his elder sibling, Dale plied his trade over jumps, in which sphere he rode over 100 winners.
Dale McKeown was born on January 29, 1965, the brother of successful Flat jockey Dean McKeown. Unlike his elder sibling, Dale plied his trade over jumps, in which sphere he rode over 100 winners.
He rode as first jockey to Epsom trainer Reg Akehurst while still a claiming conditional and achieved his first notable success on Indian Orator in the Salmon Spray Challenge Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell on October 20, 1987. Eleven days later he won Sandown’s Withington Handicap Chase on Dudie. Three days after that he rode Heart Of Stone to victory in the Vintage Verve Cliquot Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell. He rode out his claim when winning on Combined Exercise at Leicester on November 27, 1987. All of these were trained by Akehurst.
He rode as first jockey to Epsom trainer Reg Akehurst while still a claiming conditional and achieved his first notable success on Indian Orator in the Salmon Spray Challenge Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell on October 20, 1987. Eleven days later he won Sandown’s Withington Handicap Chase on Dudie. Three days after that he rode Heart Of Stone to victory in the Vintage Verve Cliquot Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell. He rode out his claim when winning on Combined Exercise at Leicester on November 27, 1987. All of these were trained by Akehurst.
The best horse he rode during that 1987/88 campaign was Russian Affair, also trained by Akehurst. Dale won on him at Sandown and followed that with victory in the Tote Placepot (4yo) Hurdle at Kempton on February 27, 1988. Another useful Akehurst performer that season was Ittihaad, on whom Dale won back-to-back novice hurdles at Warwick and Plumpton in April.
The best horse he rode during that 1987/88 campaign was Russian Affair, also trained by Akehurst. Dale won on him at Sandown and followed that with victory in the Tote Placepot (4yo) Hurdle at Kempton on February 27, 1988. Another useful Akehurst performer that season was Ittihaad, on whom Dale won back-to-back novice hurdles at Warwick and Plumpton in April.
He rode a career best 31 winners in the 1988/89 season, including Lingfield’s Summit (3yo) Hurdle on Take Issue for another Epsom trainer John Sutcliffe; the Cleeve Hill Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Dudie; the Ladbroke Credit Handicap Hurdle at Stratford on Heart Of Stone; plus the Coomes Handicap Hurdle and the Don Butchers Challenge Trophy Handicap Hurdle, both at Plumpton, on Prince Satire for Reg Akehurst.
He rode a career best 31 winners in the 1988/89 season, including Lingfield’s Summit (3yo) Hurdle on Take Issue for another Epsom trainer John Sutcliffe; the Cleeve Hill Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Dudie; the Ladbroke Credit Handicap Hurdle at Stratford on Heart Of Stone; plus the Coomes Handicap Hurdle and the Don Butchers Challenge Trophy Handicap Hurdle, both at Plumpton, on Prince Satire for Reg Akehurst.
Dale made a good start to the 1989/90 campaign, registering a quickfire hat-trick of wins in August on Wally Carter’s novice hurdler Between The Sheets, culminating in the Weldon Memorial Cup at Devon & Exeter. However, it was the introduction of all-weather hurdle racing in November of that season that proved a real boost for Dale’s career, particularly at Lingfield Park. He notched doubles there on John Benstead’s Sing The Blues and John Sutcliffe’s Go Forum on November 16, and on Brooke Saunders’ Big Finish and Sing The Blues on January 8. He registered a treble on three more Saunders-trained hurdlers, Don Keydrop, Solitary Reaper and Oublier L’Ennui on January 12, following that with another double on the Joe-Davis-trained Olympus Reef and John Fitch-Hayes’ Affaire de Coeur on January 22. In February, again at Lingfield, he scored yet another double on Penllyne’s Pride for Rod Juckes and Sing The Blues for John Benstead. Thanks mainly to his association with Brooke Sanders, he ended that season as the leading rider on Lingfield's all-weather track.
Dale made a good start to the 1989/90 campaign, registering a quickfire hat-trick of wins in August on Wally Carter’s novice hurdler Between The Sheets, culminating in the Weldon Memorial Cup at Devon & Exeter. However, it was the introduction of all-weather hurdle racing in November of that season that proved a real boost for Dale’s career, particularly at Lingfield Park. He notched doubles there on John Benstead’s Sing The Blues and John Sutcliffe’s Go Forum on November 16, and on Brooke Saunders’ Big Finish and Sing The Blues on January 8. He registered a treble on three more Saunders-trained hurdlers, Don Keydrop, Solitary Reaper and Oublier L’Ennui on January 12, following that with another double on the Joe-Davis-trained Olympus Reef and John Fitch-Hayes’ Affaire de Coeur on January 22. In February, again at Lingfield, he scored yet another double on Penllyne’s Pride for Rod Juckes and Sing The Blues for John Benstead. Thanks mainly to his association with Brooke Sanders, he ended that season as the leading rider on Lingfield's all-weather track.
He kicked off the 1990/91 season with a double at Plumpton on August 27, instigated by Brooke Sanders’ Willow Gorge in the Evening Argus Challenge Cup Handicap Hurdle and completed by Penllyne’s Pride in the selling hurdle. However, his tally of winners fell to 17 for the season.
He kicked off the 1990/91 season with a double at Plumpton on August 27, instigated by Brooke Sanders’ Willow Gorge in the Evening Argus Challenge Cup Handicap Hurdle and completed by Penllyne’s Pride in the selling hurdle. However, his tally of winners fell to 17 for the season.
He managed 16 winners for the 1991/92 season but began to find he was struggling to make a living from racing. The following season was a disaster: by the start of February he’d had just 28 mounts and no winners. His last ride was Solitary Reaper, who finished eleventh in a Southwell all-weather selling hurdle on January 27, 1993. On February 2 he announced his decision to retire from the saddle, aged 28.
He managed 16 winners for the 1991/92 season but began to find he was struggling to make a living from racing. The following season was a disaster: by the start of February he’d had just 28 mounts and no winners. His last ride was Solitary Reaper, who finished eleventh in a Southwell all-weather selling hurdle on January 27, 1993. On February 2 he announced his decision to retire from the saddle, aged 28.
Instead of retiring completely, Dale headed off to America that summer in an attempt to resurrect his career. He rode in 13 races during the second half of the year, winning one, on Double Bell, in the Crown Royal Handicap Hurdle at Pine Mountain on November 6, 1993. He stayed for two more years, having his last ride there on Pride Prevails, who finished sixth in an allowance race on the Flat at Fair Hill on May 29, 1995.
Instead of retiring completely, Dale headed off to America that summer in an attempt to resurrect his career. He rode in 13 races during the second half of the year, winning one, on Double Bell, in the Crown Royal Handicap Hurdle at Pine Mountain on November 6, 1993. He stayed for two more years, having his last ride there on Pride Prevails, who finished sixth in an allowance race on the Flat at Fair Hill on May 29, 1995.
Dale subsequently became a television pundit on the At The Races. He made a brief return to race-riding in Sweden, in 2008, riding for Lars Kelp.
Dale subsequently became a television pundit on the At The Races. He made a brief return to race-riding in Sweden, in 2008, riding for Lars Kelp.
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