Downpatrick-born Hugh Gerald Quinn crossed the Irish Sea in 1952 and joined Snowy Gray’s Beverley stable. He held a National Hunt jockey’s licence from 1960 to 1966 and had around 50 rides in public but never rode a winner.
The nearest he came was when finishing second on Ted Gifford’s grey Performance in a maiden hurdle at Southwell in March 1962. Having taken up the running three flights from home, they were collared over the last by Ted Carter’s mount Dominator, who went on to win by a length and a half.
He rode another of Gifford’s horses, selling hurdler Outside Chance, three times during the autumn of 1962, finishing fourth, fifth and unplaced.
In March 1966 Hughie married Miss Gillian Massey. They spent their honeymoon at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting. Soon after that, Hughie joined Middleham trainer Dick Peacock, where he stayed for 15 years before moving south to Berkshire to spend the next nine years with Charlie Nelson. When Charlie retired, Hughie spent the next three years with Lord Huntingdon at West Ilsley before joining Roger Charlton at Beckhampton in 1999.
Among the many top horses with which he was associated were Ministrella, Double Schwartz, Fearless Lad and Three Valleys.
On May 2, 2005 he was recognised with a race named after him at Kempton, the Hughie Quinn ‘Lifetime’ Fillies’ Conditions Stakes.