Jim Renfree

1933 - 2010

Cornishman Jim Renfree spent his childhood surrounded by ponies.

His father Alfred (always known as Fred), a reconnaissance observer in the war, bought the 300-acre Bush Ash Farm, Saltash, in 1932, together with 25 ponies.

Jim would ride them to school and back by way of breaking them in.

From there Jim developed a love of riding, and, aged nine, was competing in local gymkhanas and flapping races. By the age of sixteen, he was riding in point-to-points.

Then, in 1950, his father took out a permit to train; he had just two horses then and, so useless were they, Jim had to get used to coming last on the pair. Even the stewards questioned the wisdom of persevering with them.

Then Golden Kippers turned up. No world-beater, but good enough to give Jim his first success. The date: 23 May 1953 - the course: Buckfastleigh (where he eventually became leading jockey).

Fred had now got his eye in and was able to spot a bargain. He bought War Whoop for just £75: Jim won three novice hurdles in a row on him. An even better bargain was John O'Groats, a six-time winner with Jim in the saddle.

But undoubtedly his most successful rides came on Staggered, who scored eight times over fences and Volant, a front running mare on which Jim won 15 out of 17 races.

Having come second (to Steve Davenport) in the 1963/64 season, Jim turned professional.

In 1965, he had his only ride in the Grand National, falling on Dark Venetian. Jim later rode the same horse to finish third, behind Norther, in that year's Welsh Grand National.

The photo left - courtesy of Chris Pitt - shows Jim leaving the paddock on the way to the start of the 1965 National

Aged 34 and having ridden a total of 119 winners over the jumps, he called it a day at the end of the following season, citing the fact that the fences were beginning to look bigger.

Together with Irene, his German-born wife, he devoted himself to Bush Farm and its collection of 35 milking cows.

They then opened a riding school which ran successfully for 16 years.

Then, disaster!

In 2002, they took a holiday in Lanzarote. It was here that he was struck down by a form of bacteria that may have lain dormant in his body for years. An abscess developed which eventually destroyed his spinal cord.

He spent his remaining years paralysed and wheelchair-bound.

Jim Renfree, born on February 8, 1933, died on 2 July 2010. He was 77.

The Jim Renfree Memorial Handicap Hurdle is run each year at Newton Abbot.

Jim came third in the amateur's table in 1959-60.