Horseytalk.net Special Interview

Lord Oaksey

Everybody knows and loves Lord Oaksey or, rather John Geoffrey Tristram Lawrence, 4th Baron Trevethin and 2nd Baron Oaksey, whose father was the famous judge Geoffrey Lawrence, 1st Baron Oaksey, who was chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, which was responsible for trying the Nazi leaders after World War II.

<< Judge Geoffrey Lawrence, 1st Baron Oaksey

Although Oaksey, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday, has always preferred to be called Oaksey he was initially known as John Lawrence for a short time during his media career, which spanned more than 50-years. Educated at Eton College, New College, Oxford and Yale University, at 16 he spent the summer with his father attending the Nuremberg Trials. But the Trials over, he has since then devoted his life to horses. Racing them. Writing about them. Talking about them.

The highlight of his career as a jockey came in the 1963 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool riding Carrickbeg, when in the final strides of an epic struggle he was beaten by only three quarters of a length by Ayala, ridden by Pat Buckley. After weighing in, Oaksey being Oaksey he made straight for the nearest telephone to file his report of the race to the Sunday Telegraph, for which he was racing correspondent.

Fellow racing journalist and pundit, Brough Scott described the article he dictated that day as the best first-hand piece of reporting he had ever read. . Later in retirement, during a long stint on the after-dinner speech circuit, Oaksey would regularly relate the story of how he was once approached in the men's lavatory at Piccadilly Circus by a shifty character, who declared: "You're the bugger who got tired before your horse in the Grand National."

In 1964 Oaksey founded the Injured Jockeys Fund following the devastating accidents to Tim Brookshaw, and Paddy Farrell in the 1964 Grand National. Since then the IJF has raised and spent over £16million in helping over 1,000 jockeys whose injuries have forced some of them to give up riding. In 1969 he joined ITV and was regularly seen and heard on The ITV Seven and later Channel 4 Racing, where he was invariably referred to by John McCririck as "My Noble Lord".

<< Injured Jockeys Fund - Oaksey House

In the 1980s he also appeared on BBC Radio alongside Peter Bromley. Together they covered Bob Champion's famous win on Aldaniti in the 1981 Grand National. Bob had been diagnosed with cancer but had fought back to win the race. Oaksey remarked afterwards: "If an imaginative novelist had dreamt up that result everybody would have called him a very silly imaginative novelist."

Towards the end of 1999 Oaksey retired from regular broadcasting though he still appeared occasionally. He also continued to write for The Daily Telegraph for many years after that. In November last year he was awarded one of the sport's greatest honours when he became the 12th recipient of the annual Peter O'Sullevan Award for services to racing. By coincidence. the award was made during Hennessy Gold Cup week, which 50-years previously Oaksey had won on Taxidermist. He also won the Whitbread Gold Cup the same year on the same horse.

Bob Champion's famous win on
Aldaniti in the 1981 Grand National >>

Visit Oaksey today at his farm just outside Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Sit in the kitchen with him and his dog, Jacko and he is still bubbling with as much fun and enthusiasm as ever and firing off his views and comments in all directions..

His first pony? "Mince Pie," he says. "She kept stopping. I must have got her when I was about four-years-old. After that, I got Plum Pudding. She never stopped. I had three sisters, Libby, Robby and Jenny. Libby was the eldest. She was also the best rider of all of us. I remember we went to all the local shows. We used to win everything."

Did he enjoy being a jockey? "I was happiest when I was a jockey," he laughs. " I was even happier when I won. I think the best horse I ever rode was Taxidermist. I would have liked to have won the Grand National on him. But it wasn’t to be. We won lots of other races, though. If I didn’t become a jockey, I think I would have become a barrister like my father. But I don’t think I would have had as much fun."

His greatest jockey? "Fred Winter," he says immediately. "He was great. He just was. He was straight. Trouble was you always knew he was going to beat you. But he wasn’t conceited at all. I didn’t know Leicester Piggott very well although in the old days he was a jump jockey. He always rode bloody well."

Owners? "I remember Mrs Topham. She was the owner of Aintree. She was a great character. And, of course, the Queen Mother. The newspapers always said she liked her gin-and-tonic. I don’t think that was true. She was always very nice."

Horses? "Arkle," he says without a moment’s hesitation. "The greatest horse of all time. He didn’t seem to race. He just seemed to float over the ground. Fantastic. Desert Orchid. Wonderful."

Statue of Lord Oaksey
at Oaksey House >>

Racecourse? "Sandown," he says equally briskly. "Goodwood is too flat. Ascot is mostly flat. Sandown is the best."

Racing commentators? "Clare Balding. I think she is marvellous. She seems to know everything. John McCririck. He’s very knowledgeable. He’s made himself a character. But he is a thoroughly nice man."

Books? "I’m reading about Seabiscuit, at the moment. I’m only halfway through."

Films? "I don’t know much about films. I can remember Ben-Hur. I didn’t like the chariot race. I thought the horses were going to get hurt."

Is he a gambler? "I never gambled much. In fact, I lost most of what I won. Not many jockeys die rich."

What is his idea of heaven? He laughs "Watching Arkle at Sandown," he says. "With Clare Balding and John McCririck on the television, drinking champagne – and losing money."

How would he like to be remembered? Again, he laughs. He looks at his dog. " ’m with Jacko," he says.