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Senior Head Lad
Age: 60
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 30 years
Favourite horse(s): Canford Cliffs Sky Lantern Shalford Cill Dara Corrib Chieftain
Best racing memory: 5 great days when Canford Cliffs won his Group 1’s 5 great days when Sky Lantern won her Group 1’s, especially the 1000 Guineas King Of Change winning the QEII
Alternative career: Personal taster for Arthur Guinness
History: Former jockey Tony Gorman's impressively long spell as head lad at Herridge was deservedly recognised when he won the Leadership Award at the Godolphin Stable Staff Awards in February 2014.
Tony rode 96 winners in Ireland and England before joining forces with Richard Hannon twenty six years ago.
He is responsible for the day to day running of the yard at Herridge and on occasions travels horses domestically and overseas. He is also in charge of feeding, bedding, staff training and the morning's work lists.
Tony has had a significant influence on a series of apprentice jockeys coming through the ranks, including Ryan Moore, and has watched with pride as a number of ambitious young riders have gone on to successful careers.
An outstanding horseman he sets an example in the yard and admits "Mine is the best job in racing. I love every minute of it and never want to retire. I can't think of anything worse. "The atmosphere at Herridge is superb. It comes down from the boss to me, to the yard and the horses. "We have long serving staff and try to keep everything simple. It is just a very easy place to work because the horses love routine and so do the staff".
Age: 65
How longhave you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 32 years
Favourite horse: Brave Edge
Best racing memory: When I rode Maori Venture to win the Grand National in 1987.
Alternative career: Golfer
History: Continuity is the enduring theme of Richard Hannon's key staff. Steve Knight, the most reliable of head lads, joined the stable as an apprentice in 1969 at the age of fifteen. He rode three winners on the flat before increasing weight saw him move to Bob Turnell to become a jump jockey. Steve won the Whitbread Gold Cup on April Seventh on his seventh ride over fences in 1975 and famously rode to victory on Maori Venture in the 1987 Grand National. In the years that he worked for Turnell he continued to ride out for Hannon during the summer months and when he retired from the saddle in 1988 he immediately joined forces with his old boss once more. A vital member of the team for almost half a century Steve has been a fixture as head lad at Everleigh for many years and is proud that he rode the first three of the stable's 2,000 Guineas winners in their work. He leads by example, enjoys the challenge that each new crop of yearlings brings and is an Old-fashioned stableman who learned the hard way as an apprentice and has never believed in cutting corners.
In 2014 Night of Thunder, under his care at Everleigh, added a notable fourth 2,000 Guineas to his impressive CV in the same year that the brilliantly precocious filly Tiggy Wiggy carried all before her. Steve recalls "Night of Thunder was a lovely horse to have anything to do with, very laid back and professional. Tiggy Wiggy had a great attitude, but tended to be impatient and always wanted to go a bit faster than you wanted her to. "The numbers have increased hugely over the years but the system hasn't changed and that comes from the top. Richard is very laid back, just like his father, which helps put everyone in the yard at their ease. He tries to make the job enjoyable for all the lads. It is fair to say the Hannons are good winners and even better losers. They don't like getting beat but deal with it very well when it happens which makes life easier for all the team" Steve's outstanding qualities were recognised in 2006 when he won the Special Merit award at the annual Godolphin stable staff awards in London.
Head Girl
Age: 40
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 23 years
Favourite horse: Canford Cliffs Paco Boy Tupi
Best racing memory: Canford Cliffs beating Goldikova
Alternative career: A kept woman!
Age: 62
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 37 years
Favourite horse: Lyric Fantasy
Best racing memory: Don’t Forget Me winning the 2000 Guineas
Alternative career: Vet
Head Girl/Transport Manager
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing:
15 years
Favourite horse: Canford Cliffs
Best racing memory: When Canford Cliffs beat Goldikova
Alternative career: Interior Designer
Head Lad
Age: 45
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 29 years
Favourite horse: Dick Turpin
Best racing memory: Lucky Lionel winning the Norfolk Stakes
Alternative career: Footballer
Age: 43
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 4
Favourite horse: King Of Change
Best racing memory: Cockney Rebel winning the 2000 Guineas
Alternative career: Professional Golfer
Age: 26
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 2
Favourite horse(s): Bruisa & Lexington Force
Best racing memory: Billesdon Brook winning the 1000 Guineas
Alternative career: A landscape designer or if I won the lottery I'd set up my own stud breeding and producing Irish Sports Horses.
Senior Travelling Head Lad
Age: 47
How many years have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 3 year
Favourite horse: Cavvies Clown or Black Mocassin
Best racing memory: Coming in with Cole Harden after winning the World Hurdle
Alternative career: An international rugby player
Senior Travelling Head Girl
Age:
56
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing?
3 years
Favourite horse:
Qaysar
Best racing memory:
First and second in the Oaks when working for Ralph Beckett
Alternative career:
Police Diver
Age: 41
How many years have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 21 years
Favourite horse: If Paradise
Best racing memory: If Paradise winning the Weatherbys Super Sprint in 2003
Alternative career: Retirement!
Travelling Head Girl
Age: 23
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 2 years
Favourite horse: Billesdon Brook, Anna Nerium and Who's That Chick
Best racing memory: Riding my first winner for my dad and leading up Billesdon Brook to win the Group 1 Sun Chariot
Alternative career: Equine Chiropractor
Age: 31
Favourite horse: Al Madhar
Best racing memory: Watching King Of Change win the QEII at Ascot
Alternative career: Mounted Police Officer
Racing Secretary
Age: 58
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 9 years
Favourite horse: Dramatist Chief Singer
Best racing memory: Toronado winning The Sussex Stakes 2013 – getting our own back after Ascot!
Alternative career: Racing and form advisor
Secretary
Favourite horse: Carruthers
Best racing memory: 2011 Hennessey Gold Cup. I hadn’t long started working for Richard and he very kindly invited me to a box at Newbury where Carruthers won the Gold Cup. It was a very surreal but amazing day.
Alternative career: I would love to have my own yard retraining ex racehorses for eventing
Age: 32
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 7 years
Favourite horse: Frankel
Best racing memory: Olympic Glory – I saw him win the Prix de la Foret in France. Sky Lantern winning the 1000 Guineas – Our first Group 1 winner after I started working for Richard
Alternative career: Criminal Psychologist
Accountant
Favourite horse: Kingston Town (Aus), Iris De Balme and Olympic Glory
Best racing memory: Owning a share in Iris De Balme when he won the 2008 Scottish Grand National by 14 lengths and 26 pounds wrong!
Alternative career: Sports Correspondent or Sports Commentator.
Vet
Age: 39
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: In a professional capacity 10 years, although I’ve been coming to the yard on the lead rein of my predecessor and father Michael since I was a 6 year old in short trousers
Favourite horse: Spoilt for choice here, although I’ve always had a soft spot for Don’t Forget Me. He had a well published turbulent lead up to his victory in the 1987 2000 Guineas which I remember watching on the TV. My father returned from Newmarket expecting a hero’s welcome home, but only to receive a serious handbagging after being spotted smoking on television when he had told my mother he had given up!
Best racing memory: Probably listening to Sky Lantern win the 1000 Guineas on the radio while being a vet on duty at Badminton Horse trials walking the cross country course. I looked up to see a couple of dozen spectators and a member of the St John’s Ambulance service looking at me with some concern at my frantic seizuring!
Alternative career: I don’t think there is anything that I would rather be doing, although I quite fancy the look of being a WAG!
Farrier
Age: 49
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: I have been visiting the yard for over 40 years as I use to come here when my father Brian Alford worked for Harry Hannon
Favourite horse: Paco Boy
Best racing memory: Too many to list!
Alternative career: Shelf stacking at a supermarket
Age: 56
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 40 years
Favourite horse: There are too many to list, but Dick Turpin would have to be near the top
Best racing memory: Canford Cliffs winning the St James’s Palace Stakes
Alternative career: Win the lottery or retirement!
Age: 63
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 38 years
Favourite horse: Compton Place
Best racing memory: Rhyme ‘n’ Reason Grand National win.
Alternative career: Ice cream man in Barbados
Jockey
Age: 42
How many years have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 22 years
Favourite horse: Hurricane Alan
Best racing memory: Derby Day 2015 – Two winners. My first Group 1 winner on Pether’s Moon
What is your ambition? To win an English Classic & Dubai World Cup History: Pat Dobbs has been a model of consistency in the years he has been riding for the Hannon stable, so there was widespread delight in the racing world when he gained an overdue first Group 1 success on Pether's Moon in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in June. The horse has to be ridden with exaggerated patience as he tends to pull himself up once he hits the front. Pat timed his run to perfection as he came fast and late on Pether's Moon to deny the odds-on French challenger Dolniya. In the winners' enclosure Richard Hannon observed "Pat gave him a superb ride".
Pat has been an essential part of the Hannon team on the gallops and at the racecourse for the past nineteen years and has good cause to look forward to 2017 with great enthusiasm
Favourite horse: Toronado
Best racing memory: Riding four winners in one day for Richard and being told I should have won the fifth race!
Alternative career: Without racing I would be lost, so I would probably have to get a job plucking chickens!
What is your ambition? To ride lots & lots of winners!
History: Sean Levey has made steady progress since moving from Ireland to join the Hannon team four years ago. After an enjoyable spell on the pony racing circuit in Ireland he gained valuable experience as a work rider for Aiden O'Brien at Ballydoyle before trying his luck in England. Sean rode the mighty Canford Cliffs and Toronado at home most mornings during their brilliant career and has more recently developed a great relationship with Billesdon Brook on whom he won the 1000 Guineas and the Sun Chariot at Newmarket.
Age: 20 How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing? 3 years Favourite horse: Oliver Reed Best racing memory: Riding a 7 timer in pony racing Alternative career: To be a woodwork teacher What is your ambition? One day be champion jockey
History Rossa's father trains in Ireland and his uncle and cousins are also Jockeys so racing is very much in his blood. He says that it was only ever horse racing for him - he got the bug when he was young and has lived and breathed it ever since. Rossa was a champion pony racer in Ireland which gave him the perfect start to becoming a jockey and has thrived since joining the Richard Hannon team in 2017.
Age: 29
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing? 2 years
Favourite horse: Prince of Johanne
Best racing memory: Winning the Royal Hunt Cup
Alternative career: Bloodstock
What is your ambition? To be successful
History Started as an apprentice in Ireland to John Oxx before coming over to the UK in 2019 to work for Clive Cox. I stayed there a number of years and rode my claim out whilst I was there. Once I turned professional I went freelance until joining the Richard Hannon team early 2019.
37
1 Year
One Man Band
Winning the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot 2008 on Missoula and winning the Godolphin Mile on One Man Bnad in 2016 on Dubai World Cup night.
Professional footballer
What is your ambition?
To ride a group 1 winner and compete at the highest level worldwide
History
Born in Exeter 1982 and grew up in East Sussex. Rode ponies and hunted from a young age before going onto the Biritsh racing School. I was apprentice to Mick Easterby for two years before moving to Mick Channons. Since 2012/13 I have spent my winters in Dubai as second jockey to Doug Watson with great success.
Apprentice Jockey
Age: 22
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 3 years
Favourite horse: Paddy On The Rye
Best racing memory: Paddy On The Rye winning his Bumper first out in 2008 for my parents
Alternative career: Bloodstock Agent
Ambition: To be Champion Apprentice in 2020
History: Always grew up around race horses and had a great interest. Learned to ride when i was about 10, my Mam, sister and cousin Robbie Colgan thought me. I started Horse and Pony Racing in Ireland in 2013 after my sister and finished in 2016 with 20 wins. I Came to England after finishing school and got my license out with Richard Hannon.
Age: 21
Favourite horse: Rogue
Best racing memory: Riding my first winner
Alternative career: Racehorse trainer
What is your ambition? To become a good jockey and ride big race winners
How long have you worked at Richard Hannon Racing: 1 year
Favourite horse: Shady McCoy
Best racing memory: Riding my first winner at Lingfield just before Christmas. It was the best present!
Alternative career: Working in property development with my dad
What is your ambition? Champion Apprentice, ride in a big Group races all over the world
History Luke is from Birmingham and was first drawn to horseracing through his father who owned a couple of jumpers with Nigel Twiston Davies. His brother had ambitions to be an amateur jockey and Luke followed in his footsteps eventually leading him to work for Ian Williams. Luke was based with Ian for four years during which he took out his apprentice licence.
He has now ridden five winners, including one for Richard and is responsible for riding 1000 Guineas winner, Billesdon Brook on a daily basis.
Favourite horse: Mark Of Gold
Best racing memory: Seeing my parents first homebred get broken in and hopefully seeing him on the track next autumn.
Alternative Career: Farmer and Point to Point trainer
What is your ambition? To enjoy life and ride as many winners as I can.
History: I grew up on my parents dairy farm in Wales and have always been keen on racing from a young age through pony club and hunting. I started my racing career at a local NH yard and travelled horses to the races. I decided to come to Richard Hannons to race ride on the flat and am pleased to have been given the opportunity to turn apprentice.