Stories From The Saddle: Gordon Miller

Gordon after winning at Maisemore Park (carer Stan Sheppard just out of shot)

Gordon Miller rode his first winner in March, on Francesco Du Clos at Maisemore Park, then

followed-up that maiden success – at the age of 41, having only started race-riding last

season – on the same horse at Woodford recently. Not only is Gordon a late starter, he

believes he is the only bearded jockey in the weighing room! Jake Exelby caught up with

Gordon after his latest win to talk about why it took him so long to achieve his dream, a

bumpy start to his career as a jockey, and what Joe O’Shea makes of his hirsute

appearance!

Where are you from, where are you based now and what do you do for a living?

I grew up near Tenby in Pembrokeshire, in a non-horsey family. After my degree, I went to

work for Aldi as an Area Manager, then built up a chain of petrol stations – I wanted to do

farm shops but that was all I could find!

Eventually I moved to Herefordshire and finally took on some farm shops – I still have one,

Carrot & Wine – and got into wine and property.

Talk me through your career in racing so far and how you got into point-to-pointing in

the first place

I first had riding lessons aged ten or 11 and we lived a mile from Keith Goldsworthy and five

or six from the Mathias family. As a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a jockey, so Jan

Mathias introduced me to Keith, who was training pointers at the time. I could walk there to

ride out and that was my introduction to racehorses.

We used to use Peter Bowen’s gallops and go to Beverley Thomas’ and Dai Rees’s places.

West Wales was a real pointing hub at the time, and you could have a string of pointers and

never have to run outside Wales.

Why did you stop riding racehorses when you were younger and what made you

return?

In my head, I was going to be the next A P McCoy, though in everyone else’s head, I wasn’t.

I did an NVQ in Racehorse Care and Management and, in my early 20s, when I was still

riding out, I was standing in a field somewhere and had an epiphany – that it was time for a

change.

I blagged my way into Harper Adams University but, after a few weeks, I missed riding out,

so I went to ride for Gordie Edwards and the Crow family. I spent some time in Cumbria and

rode out for Nicky Richards, but by that time, I’d given up the idea of race-riding.

When I went to Herefordshire, my shop was next door to Venetia Williams’ yard, so I started

riding out for her. I hunted when I could, became Master of the Ross Harriers and started

doing hunt scurries and team chases – that became more important than racing.

Did you follow pointing during your absence from the saddle?

I thought I’d put my race-riding demons to bed, but I kept going pointing and it was like

looking through a restaurant window when you’re hungry – a gnawing frustration.

What made you decide to become a jockey aged 40 and how did the association with

the Sheppards come about?

I woke up one day and decided I wanted to do the Golden Button (cross-country race) and,

because I had lots of businesses on the go and wanted to be competitive, I decided I

needed help. I’d already found Brunello, from Henry De Bromhead’s, and Nickie and Matt

Sheppard asked me to come and have a chat.

The Golden Button was cancelled, so Matt suggested I concentrate on pointing. They must

have been sceptical, although they never said anything! I made my debut on Brunello at

Didmarton and doing a course walk with Jason Maguire was like walking with a celebrity! We

finished out the back, I nearly fell off at the final fence but considered getting round in one

piece to be a victory. I got the DVD of the race, but we were so far behind that we weren’t

even on it!

What made you buy Republican and Francesco Du Clos?

Matt suggested I speak to Ed Bailey to find my next horse, so went to Harry Derham’s and

came back with Republican, AKA Donald. We even got MAGA hats, although Matt – with his

sense of humour – said it should be ‘Make Eastnor Great Again’! (The Sheppards train at

Eastnor).

As for ‘Frank’, we’d been to Champions Day at Ascot, and it had been a long and boozy day.

Charlotte Treleaven, who works for the Sheppards, suggested Frank and I bought him the

next morning from Dan Cherriman when the fuzz had cleared!

He seemed flat, and I thought, ‘I’ll never buy a horse when I’m drunk again’. Matt’s exact

words were ‘He’s a yak’, and I was inclined to agree. The plan was to have Frank for

scurries and Donald for racing and, when we went to the Cotswold Scurry in February, he

was a different horse, an absolute animal. We flew the course until three out, when he

slipped up on the flat and I was knocked out for five minutes. We thought more of him after

that, so schooled him over fences.

Tell me about your first rides on Republican this season

At Knightwick, I struggled to do 12st 7lbs and, much to everyone’s amusement, was virtually

naked under the silks! The saddle slipped and I came off. Then at Larkhill, he put in a huge

stride – he knew what he was doing, but I didn’t, so I came off again. I threw my whip on the

ground in frustration and a group of girls offered me a glass of wine. No harm was done

apart from to my stick! Then next time, at Larkhill again, he bled, before we got round at

Howick. We were fairly uncompetitive, but completing was the aim.

Talk me through the emotions of winning on Francesco Du Clos at Maisemore

There were lots of friends and family there, and a nice atmosphere, but I was under pressure

and kept thinking, ‘I hope I don’t fall off again’. I wanted to be competitive, but Frank was still

an unknown quantity. When we jumped off, he flicked his ears forward and I thought, ‘This is

a different game’. The race was textbook… apart from letting Zac Baker (on the favourite) up

my inside!

I’d spent 30 years dreaming about winning but had no idea what would happen if I did – I

just felt numb, and in shock. Stan Sheppard was my carer – he got me weighed in – and it

didn’t sink in until the next day that I’d had a winner at my local point-to-point and my dream

had come true.

On Saturday, what was going through your mind being left in front so early? Were you

worried you might unseat, fall or refuse?

I had a plan for all eventualities… apart from being left alone at the fifth! I thought, ‘What

now?’ then ‘This is a win in the bank,’ then ‘Hang on – I’ve still got a long way to go’. Frank

has an independent streak – he’d pulled himself up at Sandon – so I kept pushing and

niggling him and he was OK at his fences but idled between them. Coming to the last, I was

thinking, ‘If I fluff this, it’ll go from a dream to a nightmare!’

Why do you think you get on so much better with Francesco Du Clos than

Republican?

I’ve had better luck with him, but falling off Donald has sharpened me up and improved my

riding. Donald’s unpredictable and puts in silly strides to catch-up, while Frank is much more

workmanlike, loves his jumping and you can tell him what you want to do.

Which has been your favourite pointer over the years?

Keith Goldsworthy’s Mr Dow Jones (who won 19 races, including eight Hunter Chases). He

was only about 15.2 hands, and looked like a pony, but had phenomenal heart and guts.

Which horse (not one of your own mounts) would you most like to ride?

Pink Eyed Pedro, another gutsy horse. It was quite an achievement to win the Dunraven

Bowl at 14.

Which other jockeys do you admire?

There’s an endless list. From Pembrokeshire, Richard Patrick and Sean Bowen. In pointing,

James King and Will Biddick are different league, and I aspire to be like them. And Tommie

O’Brien and Stan Sheppard have given me a lot of help.

What's your favourite course?

Obviously Maisemore Park will always be special, but it has to be Lydstep, from my

memories of going there as a child.

What do you enjoy most about pointing?

Aside from my love of horses, and the fact I’m quite driven and competitive, it’s a community,

like a family. If you fall, everyone wants to know you’re OK, and if you win, everyone wants

to shake your hand.

What are your ambitions in pointing and racing?

Short-term, to win more races and get the odd outside ride. Longer-term, to get a Category B

licence to ride at some of the flagship National Hunt tracks.

What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?

I’d limit the number of races on a card to six, although this may impact Members races.

Horses are at their lowest ever number and, as well as the picknickers, there’s a core of

people who come pointing to watch competitive racing, and lots of races with three or four

runners is not a spectacle.

You’re about to take over as MFH of the Ledbury. What do you think will happen to

pointing after a hunting ban?

The connection between hunting and pointing has already been diluted, but there’s still a

core of committed volunteers who put in unimaginably hard work to put meetings on. I would

hope that hunts could re-form as racing clubs and would like that to be the case.

What’s it like being the only jockey in the weighing room with a beard?

When I rode Republican at Knightwick, Joe O’Shea said he hadn’t seen a jockey looking like

me for 40 years and told me to shave it off! Nobody mentions it in the weighing room, but

I’ve heard comments like, ‘There’s a bearded jockey’, round the paddock. Matt Sheppard

has named me ‘The Beard to be Feared’ and I should try to get sponsorship from a barber!

What are your non-horsey hobbies?

Do people with horses have non-horsey hobbies?