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NUMBER 400: Burton and Cedrus Libani after the rider's 400th win
photo: Sweet Photography

Richard Burton, the most successful rider in the history of British Point-to-Pointing, has announced his retirement. Carolyn Tanner takes a look back at Richard's incredible career.

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On 12th March 1994 a 17-year-old named Richard Burton opened his account at Eaton Hall on Fence Judge, owned by his parents Rob and Judy, and trained by Judy's brother, the teenager's uncle Steve Brookshaw.

By the end of that season Richard, whose seven victories saw him take both the National Novice Championship and the Wilkinson Sword, had served notice of what was to come in the following 17 years. When he announced his retirement this week, it was as the reigning senior Champion, a title which he had won on three previous occasions, in 2003, 2005 and 2006, and as the most successful British Point-to-Point rider of all time.

He took over that mantle from Julian Pritchard, whose record of 384 had stood since 2007, when scoring on Heavy Weather at Garnons on 6th March this year, and by the end of the campaign had taken his tally to 414, plus a further 64 under Rules.

Statistics can sometimes be misleading and not always equate to ability, but there would be few who would argue against Richard being one of the best amateurs to have graced the sport.

His decision, he admits, was made with "a heavy heart," - "there's always going to be a part of me that wants to keep riding" - but he realises that circumstances change and that other things need to take priority.

One is his full-time job with Jackson Equestrian, the company which he and a colleague set up nearly four years ago to sell and rent equestrian properties and which is going from strength to strength, but the main one is his family life. His wife Hannah is expecting their second child - daughter Bella is now 19 months - at the end of January. "I've asked a hell of a lot of them," he said, "and it's time to give a bit back to them."

He now has a degree in Rural Enterprise, but business was not always top of his agenda. His desire to be a jockey saw him drop out of a Land Management course at Reading University after a year, and in 1995 he arrived at the yard of one of National Hunt's toughest, but fairest, taskmasters, that of David Nicholson.

Having told his new pupil to take his hands out of his pockets, "the Duke" took one look at Richard's hands and feet, said "You'll be too big," and promptly suggested he give up riding and stick to cricket. The latter is a sport at which both Richard and his father excelled, the pair having played for Shropshire on many occasions. One of Richard's ambitions is to score a century in Minor County cricket, something which he has yet to achieve.

He did, though, remain at Nicholson's for 2½ years, where among his colleagues were Choc Thornton and Dickie Johnson, both of whom, he admits, possessed more riding ability than he did, as well as having the advantage of being smaller in stature. Despite that, perhaps the biggest compliment he has ever received came from his former employer. After Richard had ridden his second Cheltenham Festival winner - he won the Kim Muir twice, on Juveigneur and Cloudy Lane - the Duke admitted he was mistaken and told his former employee "You're the only one I've been wrong about."

He describes his 2007 Aintree Fox Hunter victory on Scots Grey as "the biggest thrill you can ever get on a horse," but it is Cappa Bleu, on whom he won the 2009 Cheltenham equivalent, that he rates as the best he's ever ridden. "And to be involved with him in the way I was, and to win for top owners and my number one trainer is something to be cherished," he adds.

In retrospect, Richard has no complaints about not breaking into the paid ranks. "It's a tough job, and you're better off being a good amateur than a second-class professional in any sport," is his opinion.

He turned down a job as assistant to Nicky Henderson in order to return to education, but the sacrifice was not as hard as it might appear. His degree course required him to work on a farm for a year, and his placement at Andrew Dalton's meant that he could spend most of his time riding out for Andrew's then wife, Heather, who trained a successful string of Pointers prior to taking out a full licence.

Leading sportsmen in any field invariably have a ruthless streak, but if Burtie, as Richard has always been referred to by his racing colleagues, does have one he has managed to keep it well hidden. ‘Success' and ‘popularity' are not words which always go hand in hand, but it would be hard to find anyone with a bad word to say about him.

Well, almost anyone, because there's always an exception, and it would be fair to say that at one time the Burtons were unlikely to ever receive a Christmas card from Harvey Smith. The first horse which Richard was asked to ride for the Smiths ran away with his jockey before the start at Cheltenham and had to be withdrawn. Discretion being the better part of valour, Richard, on owner Trevor Hemmings's advice, kept well out of Harvey's way immediately afterwards! Although there was no contact between Richard and the Yorkshire handlers for some considerable time, he has since ridden for the stable again, an admission of Richard's talent if ever there was one!

He has always enjoyed great family support. Judy sadly died in 2004 but Rob was usually on hand when his son was riding, and Richard's sisters Sophie, Emma and Roo followed his fortunes from afar. Hannah has long accompanied him to meetings as much as possible, and
Bella can already chalk up several venues visited!

"I think Dad will sleep a bit easier now," he laughed, "as he's the most nervous spectator you've ever seen!" And he considers himself very fortunate to have ended his career in one piece, physical damage having been limited to the ‘usual' jockey injuries such as a dislocated shoulder, broken leg and wrists, and collarbones. "I tended to spring my collarbones rather than break them," he explained. "They aren't really connected to anything any more so I'm not a pretty sight."

Although Richard knows he will find it hard to watch others riding horses he would have been partnering, he will still be following the fortunes of those owners and trainers for whom he has ridden. He hopes in time to remain involved in the sport in some way - "I've had so much out of it that I'd like to give something back," he says.

And there is one thought which he has in common with all jockeys who hang up their boots. "As a retired rider, I can already say that the fences were a lot bigger in my day!"

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