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Contemporaries pay respects at Pat Eddery’s funeral

Jockeys and trainers gather at Oxfordshire service for 11-time champion flat jockey

The coffin is carried into the church before the funeral service for Pat Eddery in Thame. Photograph: Julian Herbert/PA Wire

Tue Dec 8 2015 - 16:49

Racing personalities past and present gathered to pay their respects to Pat Eddery, one of Ireland's most successful ever jockeys, at his funeral in Thame, Oxfordshire on Tuesday.

Eddery, crowned champion flat jockey 11 times, died on November 10th at the age of 63.

Contemporaries from his 35-year career in the weighing room attending the service at St Mary the Virgin Church included Joe Mercer, Willie Carson, Jimmy Lindley, Ray Cochrane and Philip Robinson.

Jockey’s Tom Queally, Shane Kelly and Jamie Spencer arrive for the funeral service for Pat Eddery held at St Mary the Virgin Church, Thame, Oxfordshire. Photograph: Julian Herbert/PA Wire

Among other leading jockeys present were Frankie Dettori, who was one of the pallbearers, Jamie Spencer, Jason Weaver, Martin Dwyer, Steve Drowne and George Baker.

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Trainers were well represented too and included John Dunlop, for whom Eddery rode Silver Patriarch to claim his 4,000th victory in the saddle in the St Leger at Doncaster in 1997 and Peter Walwyn, who handled one of Eddery’s most-celebrated winners in Grundy.

Michael Stoute, Brian Meehan, Roger Charlton, Con Horgan and Jeremy Noseda were other top trainers among those present.

Mourners also included Paul Smith, representing Coolmore, Mike Dillon, of Ladbrokes, owner-breeder Lord Tavistock, Dale Gibson, executive director of the Professional Jockeys Association, valet Brian Yorke and racing broadcasters Matt Chapman and Mike Cattermole.

The address was read by Brough Scott, the former jump jockey, journalist, racing presenter and now chairman of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Private cremation

The service was followed by a private cremation in Oxford and a celebration of his life at Notley Tythe Barn in Long Crendon.

The Kildare-born rider amassed more than 4,600 winners in an illustrious career, a total bettered only by Gordon Richards in Britain.

His tally included 14 domestic Classic triumphs and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe four times, most famously with Dancing Brave in 1986.

He retired from the saddle in 2003 and became a trainer, with the highlight being the victory of Hearts Of Fire in a Group One in Italy in 2009.

He was awarded an OBE in 2005.

PA

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