1985 Grand National horse, West Tip had been fortunate to survive being hit by a lorry in 1982, which left a huge scar in his hind quarters. Having recovered, he went on to show impressive form by winning four races in the buildup to the National, including The Ritz Club National Hunt Handicap at Cheltenham a few weeks before Aintree. His partner was Richard Dunwoody, the youngest rider in the contest and among thirteen riders making their National debut. Such was the interest in the pair in the days leading to the race that he was asked to appear on the Wogan show
Jockey Jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word is by origin a diminutive of "jock", the Northern English or Scots colloquial equivalent of the first name "John", which is also used generically for "boy" or "fellow" (compare "Jack", "Dick"), at least since 1529. A familiar instance of the use of the word as a name is in "Jockey of Norfolk" in Shakespeare's "Richard III". v. 3, 304. In the 16th and 17th centuries the word was applied to