Tributes after death of former Flat jockey and riding coach Brian Connorton, 84

Tributes have been paid to former Flat jockey Brian Connorton, 84, who died peacefully after a short illness on Sunday.

Born in Newmarket in May 1935, Connorton began his racing life in 1950 as an apprentice with Derby-winning trainer Norman Bertie, for whom he worked for five years at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket, riding his first winner on 20-1 shot Betsie May at Yarmouth in September 1953.

In July 1956 he moved to Yorkshire to join forces with Beverley trainer Snowy Gray, with whom he enjoyed considerable success over the next two decades. Gray supplied Connorton with two of the biggest winners of his career, the 1962 Group 2 Dante Stakes at York with Lucky Brief and the 1967 Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster with Cheb's Lad.

A career that produced around 600 winners came to an end in August 1976, due to the effects of a crashing fall sustained the previous year.

After retiring from the saddle, Connorton dedicated the next phase of his career to helping young jockeys, spending three years in charge of the apprentice school in Singapore before returning to Britain to succeed Johnny Gilbert as chief instructor at the British Racing School in Newmarket in 1985, a position he held for four years.

Connorton is survived by his wife Irene, whom he married in 1961, and by his son Nicky, also a successful rider, having been a leading apprentice and stable jockey to Richmond trainer Bill Watts, who sent out Waterloo to win the 1972 1,000 Guineas and Teleprompter to win the 1985 Arlington Million.

Nicky Connorton, who also rode with success in India later in his career, described his father's influence on him: “He was more than a father to me. He was always smiling, always jovial. He loved riding and loved teaching the apprentices, and lived a full and happy life.

"He and my mother were married for nearly 60 years and she had a wonderful life with him. He was a massive influence on me throughout my career and he always stood by me.”

He added: “I'd like to pay tribute to the doctors and nurses at Castle Hill Hospital near Beverley where he spent his final days. They were magnificent.”

Former top northern jockey John Lowe, who began as an apprentice when Brian Connorton was an established rider, recalled how helpful he was to youngsters learning the trade.

He said: “I rode with Brian when I was first starting my career. Him and Edward Hide were the two main jockeys then in the north of England and I moved up there having started in Newmarket.

"Not only was Brian a good jockey but he was very helpful to younger lads coming along, especially when it came to how to ride certain tracks, and of course he carried that on when he was teaching the apprentices at Newmarket.”

Lowe was stable jockey to Bill Watts when Nicky Connorton was establishing himself as an apprentice there, and he added: “I knew Nicky better than Brian in the end, and I was able to help him early in his career the way Brian helped me. Brian was a thorough gentleman and is a great loss.”

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