![](reat picture of two legends, Lester Piggott and Willie Shoemaker
I love that. Thanks for sharing it.
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What a great photo and thanks so much for posting it. I remember as a young teenager in England watching Lester ride Nijinsky when he made history by winning the English Triple Crown. It was so exciting and made me a lifelong racing fan.
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Lester Piggott is not tall but he looks very tall in that photo. Just out of curiousity, how tall was Willie Shoemaker?
Lester = 5’ 8" Willie = 4’11"
My heroes, Lester and our 'Enry. Both class acts.
Article…http://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/20…rse-say-going/
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My heros too – great picture!
Thanks, gumtree. How have you been?
Had the good fortune to own a small piece of a good horse that Charley Whittingham trained in the mid early-mid 80s. Willy rode and won a stake with him. So I got to know both pretty well.
Mr. Whittingham lived up to his reputation on first meeting. But once he knew you weren’t a BS artist and knew horses, didn’t tell him how to train them he lightened up, lol. He and Horatio Luro were good friends and “bunk mates” in their early years. I became good friends with Mr. Luro and he told me lots of great stories about their early years. Some confirmed by Charley and some were answered with a “no comment” lol.
This is a picture of me with a great KY friend of mine “Cowboy Roy” hanging with Mr. Whittingham at the Derby Stakes barn when Ferdinand ran and won. I’m in the white shirt. Man, I and others REALLY wanted Ferdinand to win the Belmont and crown Mr Whittingham’s illustrious long career as a Triple Crown winning trainer! Screamed my heart out that day.
Sure wish I had gotten my picture taken with Ferdy and Charley that morning also!!
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As you know jocks over your way are taller as a rule than on this side of the pond. Can carry more weight also. I think it is silly that American racing feels the jocks should/need to be 5+ feet and feather weight to win. The horses don’t care nor are they more prone to injury carrying higher weights. I feel strong we should up the weights. Would allow a lot more opportunity for a lot of very good riders. Jock by and large could live a much better and higher/healthier quality of life.
I was at the 1990 Breeders’ Cup when Lester came out of retirement only 10 days earlier to ride Royal Academy to win the BC Mile. Royal Academy was by the immortal Nijinsky who he rode and won the English Triple Crown. Who was also trained by Vincent O’Brien. There was a bit of rumblings about Mr. O’Brien giving the 5 year retired Piggott the mount. I thought it was quite the tribute, win, lose or draw. The man sat on and won with some of the GREATEST horses of all times.
I had met Lester a number of times because I was good friends with his daughter Tracy. Having dinner with him and talking was quite amazing. Though Lester is not easy to understand for the average American. Even though I had spent quite a bit of time on that side of the pond. Still wanted to say to him, “for forks sake Lester, can you spit out the marbles so we can understand you”, lol.
Lester had “alligator arms” when the bill of fare was put in the middle of the table. It was an honor to pay but I remember hoped my credit card wasn’t maxed out. We liked good red wine.
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Lots of changes, lots of introspection going on right now. Hoping I still have a few more good “stories” to live. Thanks for asking!
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I grew up in Southern California and on The Shoe 
Great photo of two of racing’s greats!
Welcome. Change is like a freight train heading down a hill - you can’t stop it, but sometimes you can steer it in a better direction and still get to where you want to go. I feel our industry is going the way of big ag, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find a niche and still live a good life.
Perhaps due to the recurrent benefical influence of jump racing in GB and Ireland where bigger weights and tall jockeys are normal?
The British can not easily understand Lester either! He has a serious speech impediment. I sometimes wonder if it made him a better jockey.
Lester also has a hearing problem.
For those who don’t get and or read the TDN on a regular bases. An enjoyable read IMO.
[h=1]Piggott Classics Still Shine Bright[/h]
http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/piggott-classics-still-shine-bright/
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A great read, thanks for sharing.
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