Rune about British star jockey Lester Piggott.

Even though I barely sat on a horseback, Lester Piggott was a superstar in my childhood home. When I was born in April 1966, my father had begun to pursue his career as a professional jockey in England. His great role model was, of course, “The long fellow” – the man who modernized the canter during the post-war period by riding straight into the British living room – and heart – when the sport could suddenly be broadcast live on television.

In the 1950s, their tracks crossed when they worked for the same trainer in the equestrian city of Newmarket. In the legacy of my father, I have, among other things, a typed daily schedule in A3 format that indicates which jockey would be matched with which horse. My dad’s name is next to the seven year old Piggott (born 1935) who was already a star.

Lester Piggott was bred in a thoroughbred gallop family. His grandfather had won two Grand National at Aintree. Father Keith rode obstacle races and later became a successful trainer, mother Iris Rickaby had pedigree from one of England’s foremost gallop families. When 12-year-old Lester won her first race at Haydock Park in 1948, she played down her son’s triumph: “He’s a pretty good rider, but will never be as good as his dad. Do not make a big deal out of this. Lester is a very ordinary boy. ”

The largest understatement of the 20th century. In total, there were upwards of 5,000 wins. Over the years, “The King of Ascot” rode an incredible 116 winners in the traditional competition where Queen Elizabeth II is the hostess. On June 15, 1960, my dad was also in Ascot to ride the Royal Hunt Cup. Unfortunately, his crazy horse, Star Chamber, was more into the rodeo and got off to a flying start by rushing headlong towards the starting line so that Dad had to duck and fall off – while the horse galloped in solitary majesty into the finish line in front of QEII.

It went better for Piggott. As early as 1954, he won his first Epsom Derby with a real high-stakes horse with the Bond-sounding name Never Say Die. The confident star jockey would win “The derby” another 8 (!) Times but never again with such a dark horse. On the contrary, the winning skull Piggott made himself known for using cunning and sharp elbows to ride the horses he pointed at. He also rode a number of winners for my grandfather’s father who was a bohemian horse trainer profile whose ashes were strewn across the home track in Warwickshire outside Birmingham.

Piggott was also a mysterious English eccentric with a furrowed stone face. It is said, for example, that he subsisted on a diet that consisted mostly of coffee, champagne, cigars and salad. In the late 80’s he spent a year in prison for tax fraud and at the end of his life he lived openly with his new “girlfriend” without divorcing his wife.

He also suffered from speech difficulties and a severe hearing loss that did not directly facilitate communication with the outside world. It was as if he compensated for his social difficulties by speaking plainly on the racetrack.

The few who knew him well testifies to a varied personality – both witty and bitter, mischievous and quiet, funny and grumpy, charming and annoying. The canter writer Sean Magee, who wrote several books with the star jockey, stated that Piggott “could drive me crazy, but I loved him”.

He could also drive coaches crazy. Due to his poor hearing, it was often pointless to try to coach Piggott, but there is a well-known story about a trainer who still tried to give him specific instructions to keep a horse safe by coming sneaking and then “throwing his head” right at the finish line. When the starting box opened, Piggott fired like a rocket and led with five horse lengths into the riot when the horse started to tackle and was run over on the finish line. The coach was completely furious when Lester calmly slipped off the saddle and dropped the line: “You were right, actually.”

Accidents at work. Piggot was an iconic jockey who became synonymous with his sport – in the same way as Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Björn Borg.

Piggott appointed Frankie Dettori as his successor. This is what the Italian star jockey told the BBC after the news of the champion’s death: “He was a legend. The rest of us always tried to live up to his standard but neither of us succeeded. He will never be forgotten ”.

Lester Piggott died on Sunday 29 May at a hospital in Switzerland – 86 years old. But, as you know, legends live on forever.

Never Say Die, as I said.