Lester Piggott

Lester Keith Piggott ( born November 5, 1935 in Wantage ) is a retired British jockey and trainer gallop. He is the most successful European jockey of all time.

Already his grandfather Ernie Piggott worked in horse racing and won, among others, the Grand National in 1912, 1918 and 1919. His father Keith was in season 1962/63 British obstacle racing champion coach. His mother came from a jockey Iris family. At the age of 12 years, Lester Piggott won his first race in 1948. At 18, he picked up his first victory in 1954 in the British derby. With 8 more victories, he became the record holder in this race. Overall, he was in England 11 times the most successful jockey of the year. From 1955-85 he scored in 25 years, over 100 victories per year. Internationally, he was very popular and he won in 27 different countries, including three victories in the Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe and the Deutsches Derby. In 1985 he finished his first jockey career and became a successful coach. His career reached its nadir in 1987, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion. Because of this scandal him in 1988 in 1975, awarded title of OBE has been revoked. After his parole in the same year he took his jockey career again and won already, 10 days later the important Breeders' Cup Mile in the United States. With the English 2000 Guineas in 1992, he won again a great classic. In 1995, he made his final farewell from racing. With a height of 1.73 m Piggott was unusually tall for a jockey and he therefore earned the nickname " The Long Fellow".

In Germany Lester Piggott's name is especially connected with that of the famous alder Hofer Orsini. This actually did not have the staying power to the derby against a brilliant stayer as porch, the best son of the legendary Waldrun, survive. Already in the 200m shorter Union race Orsini had no chance under Fritz Drechsler against wind catcher. The alder Hofer coach Adrian of Borcke committed then the 21-year- old Lester Piggott for the Derby in 1957. Though porch on Derby Day was by no means a bad mood and impressively proved his class on the Horner finish line, Piggott was thanks to a shiny scheduled race with his Orsini a tight neck projection secure the victory. A better start would Lester Piggott can not celebrate in Germany. Henceforth were German owners and trainers snake to serve him their best horses for the Derby. Also in 1968 seemed Lester Piggott with letters again the best tickets for the Derby to have. On the home straight the pair of road was blocked but forward and Lester Piggott tried freizurempeln letters. This case suffered an injury. Instead of finishing the race, Piggott drove the horse still a chance the finish. Literats racing career was over, and then almost the famous stallion line of Dark Ronald would thus perished, because due to its lean racing balance of letters found little favor with German breeders. Literats owner Walther J. Jacobs, for it would have been the first Derby victory, and his coach Sven of Mitzlaff Piggott gave the blame for the fiasco. Although it is still rumored about a conspiracy against the German jockey Piggott in this race, was so broke his Nimbus in Germany and he was never to win the German Derby again. At the end of his career, Lester Piggott wrote in a German publication that Orsini, whom he accompanied on all his missions around the world, alongside Nijinsky and Sir Ivor was the best horse of his career.

Lester Piggott won 59 classic races in Europe. 7 times the 1000 Guineas, 8 times the 2000 Guineas, the Derby 20 times (including 3 times in Germany ), 13 times 11 times the Oaks and the St. Leger. The Next Place in the " time list " is William Carson, who won a total of 38 classic races.