Bob Champion Bob Champion Robert Champion MBE (born 4 June 1948) is an English former jump jockey who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph, while recovering from cancer, was made into a film "Champions", with John Hurt portraying Champion. The film is based on Champion's book "Champion's Story", which he wrote with close friend and racing journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Powell. Champion was born in Sussex, but very soon after his birth the family moved to Guisborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire. At the height of his career as a jockey, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in
1946 Grand National stables. Symbole fell at Becher's Brook, incurring a fatal cervical fracture. 1946 Grand National The 1946 Grand National was the 100th renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 5 April 1946. It was the first true Aintree Grand National since 1940 due to World War II. It was the last Grand National to take place on a Friday, which had been the traditional day for the race since 1876. The National was won by 25/1 shot Lovely Cottage, ridden by jockey Captain Robert Petre and trained by Tommy Rayson.