FRED RICKABY: Top Newmarket Jockey dies at 93
FRED Rickaby, former top apprentice, jump jockey and trainer has died at the age of 93.
A member of one of racing's most prominent families and one-time work rider for the great Derby winner Hyperion, Mr Rickaby died on Sunday in hospital at Boston in Lincolnshire, where he had been living for the past six years after moving there from Moulton.
He was born in Newmarket the elder brother of Bill Rickaby, also a distinguished jockey.
His father Fred and grandfather, also named Fred, were both Classic winning jockeys and his aunt was Iris Piggott, mother of another great champion, Lester.
Mr Rickaby was champion apprentice in 1931 and again the following season but he grew too heavy to continue his career on the Flat and started to ride over jumps after a short spell as pupil assistant to Lord Derby's trainer Colledge Leader.
During the war years he served with the RAF as a pilot and after the war resumed his career as a jump jockey until he emigrated to South Africa in 1947.
He started training, first in the Transvaal and later in Durban and became one of the country's leading trainers.
John Gorton, who later became a Classic winning jockey in Britain was one of his apprentices and Michael 'Muis' Roberts became his datble jockey in 1973.
Together they enjoyed three years of outstanding success, highlighted by Sledgehammer, the best horse Mr Rickaby ever trained.
He was champion trainer in 1975-76 before he retired two years later.
Mr Rickaby returned to Britain in 1986 and lived with his partner Pam Griggs who died four years ago.
Newmarket trainer John Berry, a close friend of Mr Rickaby said: "Fred was an absolute genius with horses . He knew everything there was to know about a horse's muscles and how to treat them.
"In 1934 he rode Hyperion in a lot of his work although he never rode him on a racecourse," he said.
Mr Rickaby's niece Melanie Shuttler said his funeral service would be held at the West Suffolk Crematorium on Thursday, February 11 at 3pm. Donations can be made to the Injured Jockeys' Fund through funeral directors Parkers of Wainfleet, Skegness
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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