John Rowe was born to be in racing. His mother’s family was the Guests, who have boasted many jockeys and trainers including Grand National winner Richard, fearless jump jockey Joe and Newmarket trainer Rae. Younger brother Richard Rowe was first jockey for John Gifford for many years and the youngest male sibling Geoff rode winners for Jenny Pitman among others.
Born in 1958, John began as an apprentice at the renowned Frenchie Nicholson academy at Prestbury. He was there at the same time as many other future jockeys, including Walter Swinburn, Richard Fox, Ian Johnson, Wally Wharton jnr., Kevin White and Roger Wernham.
It quickly became obvious that John was a very gifted horseman and chances soon came his way on the racecourse. Family connections led to John’s first winner, Golden Ensign in the Tina Handicap at Warwick on 21 June 1975, overcoming a slow start to squeeze through inside the final furlong and prevail by a neck. The horse’s trainer, Dennis Rayson, was a close friend of John’s uncle, Charlie Guest. One more win came in 1975, followed by four more the following season.
The 1977 season saw John strike up a successful partnership with the speedy two-year-old Frimley Park, culminating in a win in the valuable City of York Nursery at the big Ebor meeting in August.
Soon after the York win John moved to Stan Mellor’s yard near Lambourn. He started his new job on 20 September 1977 and it could not have gone any better as he guided Mellor’s stayer Hipparion to a facile win at Lingfield. The move to Lambourn had been prompted by the realization that John’s weight would restrict his opportunities on the Flat and he rode for Mellor and others over hurdles for the rest of the 1977/78 National Hunt season.
His first ride over hurdles was at Stratford on 22 October 1987 when the four-year-old Duc De Bolebec beat only one home in the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle. He opened his account under NH rules at Cheltenham on January 3, 1978, when Hipparion took the lead at the last flight and quickened away to land the Northleach Opportunity Handicap Hurdle. This was just a few weeks after the pair had scored on the Flat at Lingfield.
Despite his increased weight John was still popular with a number of Flat trainers. Notably, the great Michael Stoute thought much of John and the partnership scored four times in 1978 with My Therape, including a valuable Saturday handicap at Haydock Park.
John had his final success over jumps on 20 November 1980 when Crook Of Devon ran on strongly to take the Showsley Handicap Hurdle at Towcester.
Stan Mellor was increasingly becoming a dual-purpose trainer and John was to ride several winners for his boss on the Flat. These included the top hurdler Pollardstown in the Silver Birch Stakes at Haydock and a string of wins on the two-year-old Tenth Of October in 1981.
But that year was to be John’s last season as a winning jockey. His final success came on Mellor’s Avonmore Wind in the Dudley Maiden Stakes at Wolverhampton on 5 October 1981.
John moved down to Sussex to join David Oughton but by then his race riding career was coming to an end. He had his final ride at Huntingdon on Whit Monday, 30 May 1983, when pulling up at the last flight on Gale Agency in the Ramsey Novices’ Hurdle.
He went on the become a very highly regarded work rider, plying that trade with the likes of Peter Makin, Barry Hills and Clive Cox.
In all John rode 32 winners on the Flat and eight over hurdles. He now lives in Lambourn and can be seen at several of the southern courses as part of the Starter’s team.
John Rowe’s winners were, in chronological order:
1. Golden Ensign, Warwick, June 21, 1975
2. Chinese God, Bath, August 4, 1975
3. Charville, Nottingham, April 12, 1976
4. Red Fox, Thirsk, July 30, 1976
5. Buckie, Salisbury, September 9, 1976
6. Sir Pelleas, Yarmouth, September 16, 1976
7. Frimley Park, Newbury, May 14, 1977
8. Frimley Park, Folkestone, May 23, 1977
9. Paddy’s Luck, Salisbury, August 11, 1977
10. Frimley Park, York, August 18, 1977
11. Magnolia Lad, Wolverhampton, September 12, 1977
12. Magnolia Lad, Catterick Bridge, September 17, 1977
13. Hipparion, Lingfield Park, September 20, 1977
14. Hipparion, Cheltenham, January 3, 1978
15. Hipparion, Stratford-on-Avon, February 25, 1978
16. Magnolia Lad, Warwick, March 27, 1978
17. Sheric Boy, Stratford-on-Avon, April 8, 1978
18. Little Rooster, Stratford-on-Avon, April 8, 1978
19. Per Pound, Uttoxeter, May 29, 1978
20. My Therape, Beverley, August 17, 1978
21. Man Of The Sea, Chepstow, August 28, 1978
22. My Therape, Thirsk, September 1, 1978
23. My Therape, Ascot, September 28, 1978
24. My Therape, Haydock Patk, October 7, 1978
25. Greenhill God, Newmarket, October 19, 1978
26. Mummy’s Star, Fakenham, April 16, 1979
27. Kintbury, Fontwell Park, May 7, 1979
28. Super Swallow, Thirsk, August 3, 1979
29. Pollardstown, Haydock Park, October 18, 1979
30. Crook Of Devon, Towcester, November 20, 1980
31. Tenth Of October, Warwick, April 27, 1981
32. Tenth Of October, Bath, May 9, 1981
33. Tenth Of October, Windsor, May 18, 1981
34. Same Date, Thirsk, May 29, 1981
35. Grey Mercy, Thirsk, May 30, 1981
36. Three Crowns, Sandown Park, June 13, 1981
37. Trading, Brighton, July 8, 1981
38. Tenth Of October, Lingfield Park, August 9, 1981
39. General Wade, Chepstow, September 1, 1981
40. Avonmore Wind, Wolverhampton, October 5, 1981