John Robert McDougall rode on the northern courses for more than a decade and had 24 wins. Progress was often slow; he once went for two years without a winner, but he rode for some top trainers during his career and recorded a victory on a future Grand National hero.
Born in 1949, he was associated with the Warwick House, Middleham stable of Neville Crump and made an excellent start to his career, winning on his first ride when Don Tarquinio, owned and trained by his boss, beat two rivals in the Sycamore Handicap Chase at Newcastle on October 19, 1967. The ten-year-old was the outsider of the trio, having fallen on his only previous start that season when ridden by stable jockey Gerry Scott.
John had one more success that season and two in 1968/69, but then came a gap of 18 months before he achieved the first of his five victories during 1970 on Grangerullah, trained by Ian Jordan. John won two novice hurdles on the five-year-old, followed the next season by three novice chases within the space of a fortnight. However, after finishing second at Wetherby to the useful Carib Court on his first attempt in a handicap chase, Grangerullah never ran again.
Another decent horse John won on was Solway Sands, the 33/1 winner of the Cheltenham Trial Hurdle in 1968 when ridden by Brian Fletcher. That was as close as it ever got with regard to Solway Sands’ Champion Hurdle aspirations, but three years after that surprise Cheltenham victory, John rode the horse to land Sedgefield’s Hope Inn Chase by an unchallenged 15 lengths.
He soldiered on and eventually struck up a productive partnership with Hawick trainer Harry Bell, who supplied him with half a dozen winners. They included Rubstic, destined to win the 1979 Grand National when trained by John Leadbetter. More than four years before Rubstic’s Aintree triumph he had been partnered by John McDougall to land the Symington Handicap Hurdle at Ayr on November 18, 1974. John also rode him on three other occasions that season, finishing second each time.
Another useful performer he rode for Harry Bell was the nine-year-old chaser London Express, winning three times on him during the spring of 1977. Back in November 1974, London Express had defeated the mighty Tingle Creek by a length in the Castleford Chase at Wetherby, albeit in receipt of 21lb from the latter. London Express had been ridden that day by Maurice Barnes, who was later to ride Rubstic to his Grand National triumph.
John had his final win victory at Perth on September 27, 1978, when Sea Headrig, trained by Andy Scott, got up close home to beat Contribution by a head in the Scone Novices’ Hurdle.
He continued to ride for three more seasons but without ever visiting the winner’s enclosure again. His last ride was at Carlisle on February 9, 1982, when Perfect Fit was unplaced in the Wetherall Selling Handicap Hurdle.
John McDougall’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Don Tarquinio, Newcastle, October 19, 1967
2. Longmynd, Wetherby, March 9, 1968
3. Nic-Nac, Teesside Park, October 2, 1968
4. Shady Will, Kelso, October 9, 1968
5. Grangerullah, Hexham, April 18, 1970
6. Grangerullah, Sedgefield, May 8, 1970
7. Grangerullah, Teesside Park, October 10, 1970
8. Grangerullah, Wetherby, October 14, 1970
9. Grangerullah, Kelso, October 24, 1970
10. Dumgram, Market Rasen, February 12, 1971
11. Nut Case, Perth, April 20, 1971
12. Solway Sands, Sedgefield, December 4, 1971
13. Bedrule, Wetherby, February 5, 1972
14. Red Ruler, Cartmel, August 28, 1972
15. Red Ruler, Sedgefield, September 9, 1972
16. Bedrule, Kelso, January 17, 1973
17. Star Award, Kelso, February 8, 1974
18. Tychee, Hexham, September 9, 1974
19. Rubstic, Ayr, November 19, 1974
20. Harbour Light, Carlisle, April 14, 1975
21. London Express, Perth, April 19, 1977
22. London Express, Kelso, April 28, 1977
23. London Express, Perth, May 18, 1977
24. Sea Headrig, Perth, September 27, 1978