Tributes paid to 'kind and knowledgeable' John Cleverly after death at 86

John Cleverly, a former RCA and BHB board member described as 'part of the furniture' of racing by one of his proteges, has died at the age of 86.

A chartered surveyor by profession and a point-to-point jockey in his youth, he was clerk of the course and manager at Beverley from 1973 until 2000, and was a director there until 2014.

He was succeeded on the board by his daughter Bridget Guerin and a bar at Beverley is named after him.

Cleverly, who owned horses with Tim Easterby, was also clerk of the course at Sedgefield and Redcar for a time and when he got too old for clerking he became a steward but had to retire from that when he was 70.

John Cleverly (third from right) is presented with a bottle of champagne by steward Frank Debenham on his last day as clerk of the course at BeverleyCredit: Mirrorpix

Sally Iggulden has been chief executive at Beverley since 2000 and paid tribute to his impact on racing locally and nationally.

"He was on the RCA and BHB boards and he really was part of the furniture in the 1980s and 1990s," she said.

"He was really kind and knowledgeable and happy to pass that knowledge on. He enjoyed seeing young people come into the racing game and grow – I've had so many emails from people in racing saying how much he helped them.

"He was tremendous to me. I started as a 23-year-old who was very keen and willing and he helped me to learn, particularly about race planning which was his great love."