30 Facts About Lester Piggott

Lester Keith Piggott was an English professional jockey and horse trainer.

Lester Piggott was born in Wantage, Berkshire, to a family that could trace its roots as jockeys and trainers back to the 18th century.

Lester Piggott was three-times British jump racing Champion Jockey, and owned a racehorse stable at the Old Manor in Letcombe Regis.

Lester Piggott owned a training stable at South Bank in Lambourn, where Lester Piggott lived until 1954.

Lester Piggott was a cousin, through his mother Lilian Iris Rickaby, jockeys Bill and Fred Rickaby.

Lester Piggott began racing horses from his father's stable when he was ten years old and won his first race in 1948, aged twelve, on a horse called The Chase, at Haydock Park.

Lester Piggott described his mother as wisely playing down his success, while his father rarely gave advice unless there had been a particular mistake.

Lester Piggott was stable jockey to Noel Murless and later to Vincent O'Brien and had a glittering career of unparalleled success.

Lester Piggott pioneered a new style of race-riding that was widely adopted by colleagues at home and abroad and enabled him to become Champion Jockey eleven times.

Lester Piggott was again champion jockey in 1981 and 1982.

In late 1983, a dispute arose as to whether Lester Piggott had reneged on an agreement to ride Daniel Wildenstein's All Along in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for Patrick Louis Biancone when Lester Piggott stated he had agreed to ride the previous year's Arc third Awaasif and could only ride All Along if that horse did not run.

All Along was ridden instead by Walter Swinburn, with Wildenstein refusing to allow Lester Piggott to ride any more of his horses.

In 1985, Lester Piggott rode freelance, with big wins including the Prix de Diane for Andre Fabre aboard Lypharita, the 2000 Guineas Stakes for Michael Stoute on Shadeed and the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup and Irish Champion Stakes for Luca Cumani on Commanche Run.

Lester Piggott retired as a jockey at the end of the 1985 flat season and became a trainer.

Lester Piggott was stripped of his appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire, which had been awarded in 1975.

Lester Piggott resumed his career as a jockey in 1990, at the age of 55, and won the Breeders' Cup Mile on Royal Academy within ten days of his return.

Lester Piggott rode another Classic winner, Rodrigo de Triano, in the 1992 2000 Guineas.

Lester Piggott lived near Newmarket for the entire duration of his career.

Lester Piggott later emigrated to Bursinel, Switzerland, where he continued to reside with his partner and family friend Lady Barbara FitzGerald, then the 55-year-old wife of Lord John FitzGerald, though legally he was still married to his wife Susan.

On 15 May 2007, Lester Piggott was admitted to intensive care in a hospital in Geneva, following a recurrence of a previous heart problem.

Lester Piggott's wife stated that this illness was not life-threatening and that he was recovering in intensive care as a precaution.

Lester Piggott attended Royal Ascot in June 2007 and the Epsom Derby in June 2008 where he tipped the winner, New Approach, during a BBC television interview.

Lester Piggott was present for the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup where he presented a trophy to jockey Tony McCoy.

Lester Piggott had a son, Jamie, a jockey, from a relationship with Anna Ludlow.

Lester Piggott was partially deaf and had a minor speech impediment.

Lester Piggott was known for his dry wit, despite a reputation for being taciturn.

For example, when asked by a reporter, after Karabas had won the 1969 Washington International, when he thought he would win, Lester Piggott replied "about two weeks ago".

Lester Piggott died in hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, on 29 May 2022, at the age of 86.

In 2021, Lester Piggott was, along with Frankel, one of the first two entries in the British Champions Series Hall of Fame.

Lester Piggott was frequently caricatured on ITV's Spitting Image, in which he was portrayed as having mumbling diction, voiced by Enn Reitel.