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Article by Chris Pitt
Article by Chris Pitt
Tony Mawson, better known as ‘Geordie’ Mawson, was attached to Edward Courage’s stable for most of his career and was fortunate enough to be there at the same time as two of Courage’s best horses, Spanish Steps and Royal Relief, both of which he rode.
Tony Mawson, better known as ‘Geordie’ Mawson, was attached to Edward Courage’s stable for most of his career and was fortunate enough to be there at the same time as two of Courage’s best horses, Spanish Steps and Royal Relief, both of which he rode.
Anthony Edward Mawson was born in Yorkshire on August 27, 1949. His father hailed from the north-east and Tony soon acquired the nickname ‘Geordie’ as a result. After a childhood spent at gymkhanas and pony clubs, at the age of fifteen Geordie had a brief spell with Major J.R.D. Mayne at Bibury in Gloucestershire before spending two years apprenticed to Ryan Price at Findon in Sussex. He was already too heavy to ride on the Flat and with Josh Gifford and Paul Kelleway as Price’s stable jockeys, opportunities were limited. He had four rides over hurdles for Price before moving on to join Edward Courage’s yard at Edgcote, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, in November 1966, replacing the departing David Clayton as stable lad. The first horse he rode on the gallops there was none other than Spanish Steps, who had made his racecourse debut only the previous month, finishing a promising fourth in a Chepstow hurdle race. Over the next six years Geordie would ride Spanish Steps in all his regular work.
Anthony Edward Mawson was born in Yorkshire on August 27, 1949. His father hailed from the north-east and Tony soon acquired the nickname ‘Geordie’ as a result. After a childhood spent at gymkhanas and pony clubs, at the age of fifteen Geordie had a brief spell with Major J.R.D. Mayne at Bibury in Gloucestershire before spending two years apprenticed to Ryan Price at Findon in Sussex. He was already too heavy to ride on the Flat and with Josh Gifford and Paul Kelleway as Price’s stable jockeys, opportunities were limited. He had four rides over hurdles for Price before moving on to join Edward Courage’s yard at Edgcote, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, in November 1966, replacing the departing David Clayton as stable lad. The first horse he rode on the gallops there was none other than Spanish Steps, who had made his racecourse debut only the previous month, finishing a promising fourth in a Chepstow hurdle race. Over the next six years Geordie would ride Spanish Steps in all his regular work.
Seventeen-year-old Geordie made a dream start to his new job, riding his first winner on Courage’s hurdler Saccone at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day 1966, on his first ride for the stable and only his fifth in all. The following day, also at Wolverhampton, Spanish Steps won his first race, ridden by stable jockey John Buckingham. Geordie won again on Saccone at Warwick on January 21, 1967, his eighth ride in public. Seven days later he rode Spanish Steps for the first time in division two of the Brewers Hurdle at Doncaster, finishing second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Jumbo Wilkinson’s mount Quelle Finale.
Seventeen-year-old Geordie made a dream start to his new job, riding his first winner on Courage’s hurdler Saccone at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day 1966, on his first ride for the stable and only his fifth in all. The following day, also at Wolverhampton, Spanish Steps won his first race, ridden by stable jockey John Buckingham. Geordie won again on Saccone at Warwick on January 21, 1967, his eighth ride in public. Seven days later he rode Spanish Steps for the first time in division two of the Brewers Hurdle at Doncaster, finishing second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Jumbo Wilkinson’s mount Quelle Finale.
Geordie went on to ride Spanish Steps in 12 of his 15 races over hurdles, winning three times, all during the 1967/68 season. His 7lb allowance proved useful when landing a conditions race and two handicaps, at Kempton on October 20, Cheltenham on November 4 and Doncaster on January 26. He rode three more winners that season, two of them on Courage’s up-and-coming novice chaser Tamoretta who won at Market Rasen on October 21 and at Wolverhampton nine days later.
Geordie went on to ride Spanish Steps in 12 of his 15 races over hurdles, winning three times, all during the 1967/68 season. His 7lb allowance proved useful when landing a conditions race and two handicaps, at Kempton on October 20, Cheltenham on November 4 and Doncaster on January 26. He rode three more winners that season, two of them on Courage’s up-and-coming novice chaser Tamoretta who won at Market Rasen on October 21 and at Wolverhampton nine days later.
The 1968/69 season delivered four winners, the first of them being on Tamoretta in the valuable Ansells Brewery Handicap Chase at Worcester on November 9, a victory that also resulted in Geordie’s claim being cut to 5lb. His next win was on another Courage-trained handicap chaser, Trajan, at Huntingdon on Boxing Day. He won on Tamoretta again on April 22 and rode a ‘spare’ winner for Wilmer Mann on Silvertime at Towcester four days later. He also finished third on Royal Relief in that season’s Princess Royal Hurdle at Doncaster.
The 1968/69 season delivered four winners, the first of them being on Tamoretta in the valuable Ansells Brewery Handicap Chase at Worcester on November 9, a victory that also resulted in Geordie’s claim being cut to 5lb. His next win was on another Courage-trained handicap chaser, Trajan, at Huntingdon on Boxing Day. He won on Tamoretta again on April 22 and rode a ‘spare’ winner for Wilmer Mann on Silvertime at Towcester four days later. He also finished third on Royal Relief in that season’s Princess Royal Hurdle at Doncaster.
An unlucky 1969/70 campaign restricted Geordie to just one winner from 22 mounts, but at least it came in a decent sponsored race, with Trajan winning the Watney Mann Handicap Chase at Huntingdon in May. Trajan also provided him with three of his four successes in 1970/71, scoring at Leicester in November, Huntingdon in December and Wolverhampton in March, as well as giving him another winning ride at Southwell in January 1972.
An unlucky 1969/70 campaign restricted Geordie to just one winner from 22 mounts, but at least it came in a decent sponsored race, with Trajan winning the Watney Mann Handicap Chase at Huntingdon in May. Trajan also provided him with three of his four successes in 1970/71, scoring at Leicester in November, Huntingdon in December and Wolverhampton in March, as well as giving him another winning ride at Southwell in January 1972.
The 1972/73 season was Geordie’s best with a score of nine and he also had the thrill of riding Spanish Steps for the only time over fences when being beaten a short-head by L’Escargot in the Sundew Chase at Haydock in November 1972.
The 1972/73 season was Geordie’s best with a score of nine and he also had the thrill of riding Spanish Steps for the only time over fences when being beaten a short-head by L’Escargot in the Sundew Chase at Haydock in November 1972.
In 1973 he left the Courage stable and moved to New House Farm, near Tenbury Wells, riding for local trainers such as John Edwards, Jack Peacock and Reg Brown. However, the number of winners dwindled, his final three seasons in the saddle yielding just four. Two of them came in 1974/75 courtesy of Reg Brown’s Space Project at Cheltenham in April and Jack Peacock’s March Flight at Warwick in May.
In 1973 he left the Courage stable and moved to New House Farm, near Tenbury Wells, riding for local trainers such as John Edwards, Jack Peacock and Reg Brown. However, the number of winners dwindled, his final three seasons in the saddle yielding just four. Two of them came in 1974/75 courtesy of Reg Brown’s Space Project at Cheltenham in April and Jack Peacock’s March Flight at Warwick in May.
His last two wins were on a selling hurdler named Bob Short, owned and trained by Phil Allingham, these being at Fontwell on November 10, 1975 and at Huntingdon on December 27, 1976. Geordie retired with 36 winners to his name but also with a host of great memories of his days wearing the famous maroon and yellow halved colours of Edward Courage on some of his very best horses.
His last two wins were on a selling hurdler named Bob Short, owned and trained by Phil Allingham, these being at Fontwell on November 10, 1975 and at Huntingdon on December 27, 1976. Geordie retired with 36 winners to his name but also with a host of great memories of his days wearing the famous maroon and yellow halved colours of Edward Courage on some of his very best horses.
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