George Duffield (MBE) - Assistant Trainer
Yorkshire born and bred, George Duffield entered the world of horse racing (earning the princely sum of 18 shillings and six pence a week) at the age of 15 in 1962 when he joined Heath House stables, the yard of trainer Jack Waugh, based at racing's HQ, Newmarket.
George rode his first winner - Syllable - on 15th June 1967 at Yarmouth and went on to ride over 2,500 more in a career that spanned over 40-years, before retiring from the saddle in March 2005. He is the 9th most successful jockey in the history of British racing.
For more than 30 years George was stable jockey to Sir Mark Prescott who took over the licence from Jack Waugh at the Heath House stables. Perhaps the horse that most epitomises the relationship between George and Sir Mark is Spindrifter who recorded 13 wins in a single season - 11 consecutively.
George also had plenty of rides away from Sir Mark, indeed some of the best horses George rode were for outside yards. Notably, his two English classic wins in the Oaks and the St Leger in 1992 aboard the fantastic filly User Friendly were trained by Clive Brittain and he successfully teamed up with Aidan O'Brien, memorably so when gaining a hard fought victory in the Eclipse on Giants Causeway.
George's award of the MBE in the 2002 Queen's New Years Honours list came in well earned recognition of his services to racing and is a tribute to the respect with which he is held in the weighing room and amongst racing's hierarchy. George was further honoured in 2005 by being the recipient the Goodwood Racecourse lifetime achievement award, and several racecourses have held races in his honour.
George is now also taking time out to relax. He really enjoys gardening and has spent many hours landscaping Sun Hill Farm. Any visitor to the yard can not fail to be impressed by the grounds and is quite likely to bump into George in his new workwear of overalls, wellingtons and flat cap!
He still spends time in the saddle however, riding several lots each day, when his experience is invaluable. Sir Mark Prescott always said of George " He's an excellent work rider, the greatest slug ever born will pick up the bit with George; he pulls a two year old together and gets it to use itself even when it has previously shown little ability. I still would not have any other jockey from the past 150 years ahead of him"
There is no doubt that his vast riding experience is invaluable in teaching the youngsters how to race and in assessing their ability from the outset. Instinctively he is quick to recognise a horse's potential good and bad points, which is a great help to Ann and the owners in making realistic plans concerning the horse's future.
Gentleman George - The Contradictory Life of George Duffield
For the full story of George's life in and out of racing George's autobiography, Gentleman George? is a must read for any racing enthusiast. Hailed as one of the most interesting racing autobiographies written, it spans almost five decades of racing history, covering all of the changes over the period as seen through the eyes of a man who has never been afraid to speak his mind!
