Grand National first jump, suddenly veered across the leading group at the 23rd, causing them to either stop, refuse or unseat their riders. Racing journalist Lord Oaksey described the resulting pile-up by saying that Popham Down had "cut down the leaders like a row of thistles". Some horses even started running in the wrong direction, back the way they had come. Foinavon, whose owner had such little faith in him that he had travelled to Worcester that day instead, had been lagging some 100 yards behind the leading pack, giving his jockey, John Buckingham, time to steer his mount wide of the
Tom O'Brien (jockey) professional race meeting. In 2005, O'Brien had his first big race win on Captain Corelli in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock Park. In 2007 and 2008, O'Brien rode McKelvey in the Grand National, coming second to Silver Birch in 2007. At the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, O'Brien rode Silk Affair to a win in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle. O'Brien is a regular jockey for Philip Hobbs and Peter Bowen and is based in the South West of England. Great Britain Tom O'Brien (jockey) Tom O'Brien (born 1986) is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing.