Ken White

Born on June 1, 1943, on a farm on the Croome Estate in Worcester, Kenneth Brian White was the jockey on board Comedy of Errors in 1975 when that horse became the first to regain British hurdling's top prize.

Other great wins on Comedy of Errors included the 1974 Fighting Fifth, 1974 International Hurdle, 1974 Irish Sweeps Hurdle, 1974 Scottish Champion Hurdle and the 1975 Templegate Hurdle.

Ken also won the Midlands Grand National twice, first in 1969 on board Happy Spring, then, in 1973, on Rip's Lyric.

He had served a five-year apprenticeship with Jack Yeomans at Hill Croome and rode his first winner, Trace, on April 16, 1959, at Manchester. This proved to be his only winner in the Flat. He then switched to jumps.

Yeomans provided Ken with his first winner over the sticks. This came in a Southwell hurdle on board Lean Sport on 30 March, 1961.

His first big race victory came on Game Purston in the Tom Coulthwaite Chase at Haydock in January, 1965. The ups and downs of a jockey's life were vividly illustrated when later that year he fell from Surcharge at Wetherby, suffering a depressed fracture of the skull.

On February 5, 1969, and returning to the saddle after a nine months lay-off through injury, Ken snatched the National Trial Steeplechase by a short head from Red Alligator having earlier won a selling hurdle for Willie Stephenson on Red Rascal.

Sadly, Game Purston's trainer, Jack Yeomans, had died the previous year, and his brother Jim sent the horse to Doncaster's February racing sales with a reserve of 5,000 guineas. The final bid was only £2,100 and the horse was led out unsold. Jim said, 'If he is not sold privately we shall run him ourselves in the National and stable jockey Ken White will ride.'

'Nobody could have ridden Normandy better than Ken White' declared Michael Phillips, racing correspondent of The Times. Ken had deputized for Terry Biddlecombe (back problems), and was then riding all runners from the Rimell stable (December 1969).

Biddlecombe's desperate luck continued when, shortly after his return. he broke three ribs (Feb 27 1970) and was taken to Ashford Hospital. Again, Ken was the beneficiary, winning on, among others, Arctic Feast (Faversham Steeplechase).

Fred Rimell sent two horses to contest the 1970 Mackeson Gold Cup, Gay Trip and Chatham, which started at 33/1 and was ridden by Ken. The manner of Ken's dashing victory brought comments from the press that he had been underrated. Later, after a win on True Luck in 1971, it was written 'Ken White has never looked so polished as he did on this occasion. He rode a beautiful race.'

The following year, Ken won the Champion Hurdle Trial on Coral Diver before winning the Topham Trophy at Liverpool, riding Mrs Robert Sangster's Sunny Lad.

On the departure of Bill Smith in 1974, Ken took over as stable jockey for Rimell.

On New Year's Day, 1976, Ken, once again aboard the redoubtable Comedy of Errors, beat the equally resilient Sea Pigeon by a head after a prolonged battle on the Windsor run-in.

Ken began training, and, in 1981, ran a 15-strong stable in the 37 acres Little London Farm, one mile from Aston Munslow in Shropshire,

He had a great stroke of luck in Ascot's 1989 Bagshot Handicap. Ken's horse, Headin' On, was toiling in third as the Peter Scudamore-ridden Huntworth came to the last eight lengths clear, only to jink violently to the left and ending up on the hurdle course. Sir Jest, racing in second, was clearly distracted and refused to jump. This presented Ken's horse with the race.

'I'd have been happy to finish third' he confessed after.

Recalling a similar incident he said 'In my riding days, at Hexham in a novice chase, I rode a horse called Palace Main. He refused five times before we eventually won'.

Ken retired from training after 15 years.

Mercy Rimell once said of Ken, 'he had more sympathy for a horse than any of our riders. For him, a horse wasn't just a means to an end. I was always terribly pleased that Ken did, in the end, ride a Champion Hurdle winner. It was very rewarding for everybody that he rode Comedy of Errors when he won.'

A fitting tribute to a great, if somewhat underrated, jockey.

Ken White, 21, scored his first success since he rode his 25th winner and lost his claim on the final day of 1964 when winning the Tom Coulthwaite Chase at Haydock on 9 January 1965.

Big winners:

Champion Hurdle winner: Comedy Of Errors (1975)

Other big winners:

1965: Tom Coulthwaite Handicap Chase – Game Purston

1967: Welsh Grand National – Happy Spring

1969: Haydock Park Grand National Trial – Game Purston

1969: Midlands Grand National – Happy Spring

1970: Haydock Park Grand National Trial – French Excuse

1970: Mackeson Gold Cup – Chatham

1972: Victor Ludorum Hurdle – North Pole

1972: Topham Trophy Chase – Sunny Lad

1973: Midlands Grand National – Rip’s Lyric

1974: Welsh Grand National – Pattered

1974: Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Comedy Of Errors

1974: Irish Sweeps Hurdle – Comedy Of Errors