Jimmy Walker
James Henry Walker was born in 1932. He was apprenticed to Willie Stephenson at Royston and gained his biggest success when just 15 years old in the 1947 Manchester November Handicap on 66-1 outsider Regret for trainer Percy Vasey.
James Henry Walker was born in 1932. He was apprenticed to Willie Stephenson at Royston and gained his biggest success when just 15 years old in the 1947 Manchester November Handicap on 66-1 outsider Regret for trainer Percy Vasey.
In 1948 Jimmy triple dead-heated for second place in the apprentice championship alongside Manny Mercer and Frank Barlow with 21 winners apiece, behind the winner Dennis Buckle. His most important successes that year included the Falmouth Handicap at York’s Ebor Meeting and the Shaw Memorial Handicap at Ayr’s Western Meeting, both of them on Big Surprise.
In 1948 Jimmy triple dead-heated for second place in the apprentice championship alongside Manny Mercer and Frank Barlow with 21 winners apiece, behind the winner Dennis Buckle. His most important successes that year included the Falmouth Handicap at York’s Ebor Meeting and the Shaw Memorial Handicap at Ayr’s Western Meeting, both of them on Big Surprise.
Jimmy got off to a flying start in 1949 when winning the Hainton Handicap at Lincoln aboard Bristol Fashion on the opening day of the season, reducing his claim from 5lb to 3lb in the process. He won on Kinka’s Kid at Pontefract in April and Pas De Tout at Bath in May, but thereafter his fortunes declined. Although he had 243 rides that year, he managed only seven winners.
Jimmy got off to a flying start in 1949 when winning the Hainton Handicap at Lincoln aboard Bristol Fashion on the opening day of the season, reducing his claim from 5lb to 3lb in the process. He won on Kinka’s Kid at Pontefract in April and Pas De Tout at Bath in May, but thereafter his fortunes declined. Although he had 243 rides that year, he managed only seven winners.
He held a full jockey’s licence in 1950 and managed just one win from 34 rides, that success coming on Willie Stephenson’s four-year-old Recital in a Bath selling handicap on May 10.
He held a full jockey’s licence in 1950 and managed just one win from 34 rides, that success coming on Willie Stephenson’s four-year-old Recital in a Bath selling handicap on May 10.
He rode over jumps in the 1950/51 National Hunt season and had two winners and two second places from 19 rides. His winners, both of them trained by Stephenson, were novice hurdler Rosaltic at Hurst Park on January 17, 1951 and handicap hurdler Young Carver at Southwell on May 21, 1951.
He rode over jumps in the 1950/51 National Hunt season and had two winners and two second places from 19 rides. His winners, both of them trained by Stephenson, were novice hurdler Rosaltic at Hurst Park on January 17, 1951 and handicap hurdler Young Carver at Southwell on May 21, 1951.
He took out a full licence for the 1951 Flat season but relinquished it on June 28, having ridden no more winners.
He took out a full licence for the 1951 Flat season but relinquished it on June 28, having ridden no more winners.
