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George Skelton
Article by Alan Trout
Article by Alan Trout
George Mitchell Skelton rode a couple of winners over hurdles in the early 1980s.
George Mitchell Skelton rode a couple of winners over hurdles in the early 1980s.
He was a conditional for former leading jump jockey Tommy Barnes and had his first ride on the four-year-old Castle Lea in the Ambleside Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Carlisle on November 7, 1979, leading between the third and fourth hurdles but then falling at the next.
He was a conditional for former leading jump jockey Tommy Barnes and had his first ride on the four-year-old Castle Lea in the Ambleside Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Carlisle on November 7, 1979, leading between the third and fourth hurdles but then falling at the next.
Just under a year later he had his first victory when Arctic Timber, trained by Tommy Barnes, took the lead at the last flight and ran on to beat Clown Court by two and a half lengths in the Sunniside Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Hexham on October 22, 1980. It was his fist ride on the four-year-old who did not reappear until February when she had three unplaced efforts, with George in the saddle for two of them.
Just under a year later he had his first victory when Arctic Timber, trained by Tommy Barnes, took the lead at the last flight and ran on to beat Clown Court by two and a half lengths in the Sunniside Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Hexham on October 22, 1980. It was his fist ride on the four-year-old who did not reappear until February when she had three unplaced efforts, with George in the saddle for two of them.
George rode for trainer Stan Payne the following season and it was on his Pleasant Polly that he had his second, and final, success when the four-year-old held off the challenge of Barbeque Night, trained by Tommy Barnes, to take the Haig Whisky Novices’ Hurdle Qualifier at Cartmel on August 31, 1981 by five lengths. The winning pair had one unplaced effort after that.
George rode for trainer Stan Payne the following season and it was on his Pleasant Polly that he had his second, and final, success when the four-year-old held off the challenge of Barbeque Night, trained by Tommy Barnes, to take the Haig Whisky Novices’ Hurdle Qualifier at Cartmel on August 31, 1981 by five lengths. The winning pair had one unplaced effort after that.
George’s final ride was on Downholme, finishing tailed off in the Royal Caledonian Hunt Handicap Hurdle at Kelso on October 3, 1981.
George’s final ride was on Downholme, finishing tailed off in the Royal Caledonian Hunt Handicap Hurdle at Kelso on October 3, 1981.
Arctic Timber, George Skelton's first winner: Hexham, October 22, 1980
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