Willie Carson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Carson
OBE |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
William Fisher Hunter Carson
16 November 1942 Stirling, Scotland
|
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Spouse(s) |
Carol Spares
(m. 1963; div. 1979)Elaine Williams
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 4 |
William "Willie" Fisher Hunter Carson, born on November 16, 1942, is a famous retired jockey from Scotland. A jockey is a person who rides horses in horse races. Willie Carson is known for his amazing career in thoroughbred horse racing, where he won many important races.
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Willie Carson's Racing Career
Willie Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland. When he was young, he started learning to be a jockey with Captain Gerald Armstrong in North Yorkshire. His very first win in Britain was on a horse named Pinker's Pond on July 19, 1962.
He became the British Champion Jockey five times! This means he was the best jockey in Britain in those years: 1972, 1973, 1978, 1980, and 1983. He won 17 of the biggest races in Britain, called British Classic Races. He also won more than 100 races in a single season 23 times! In total, he had 3,828 wins, making him one of the most successful jockeys ever in Great Britain.
Willie Carson's best year was 1990, when he won 187 races. On June 30, 1990, he won six races at Newcastle Racecourse in one day! This is a very rare achievement. Even with all those wins, he came in second place for the champion jockey title that year.
Willie Carson worked closely with trainer Major Dick Hern for a long time. He rode his first three Derby winners for him. Willie was about five feet tall and could easily keep his weight low, which is important for jockeys. Because of this, he was a very popular jockey until he retired in 1996 when he was 54 years old.
Life After Racing
In 1980, Willie Carson took over a horse breeding farm called Minster House Stud. He and his wife Elaine turned it into a modern place for breeding horses. He is one of the only jockeys from the 20th century to win a major race on a horse that he himself bred. This horse was Minster Son, and they won the St. Leger Stakes in 1988. Willie has four children.
In 1983, Willie Carson was given a special award called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award is given to people who have done great things for their country, in his case, for horse racing.
Willie Carson also appeared on TV. From 1982 to 1983, he was a team captain on the sports quiz show A Question of Sport. He also helped present horse racing coverage for the BBC until 2012.
He was the chairman of Swindon Town FC, a football club, from 2001 to 2007.
In 2010, he received an Honorary degree from the University of Chester. This is a special award given to people for their achievements.
In 2011, Willie Carson was a contestant on the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, where he finished in 5th place.
Major Race Wins
Willie Carson won many of the most important horse races around the world. Here are some of his biggest wins:
British Classic Races
- 1,000 Guineas: He won this race twice, with Salsabil (1990) and Shadayid (1993).
- 2,000 Guineas: He won this race four times, with High Top (1972), Known Fact (1980), Don't Forget Me (1987), and Nashwan (1989).
- Derby: He won this famous race four times, with Troy (1979), Henbit (1980), Nashwan (1989), and Erhaab (1994).
- Oaks: He won this race four times, with Dunfermline (1977), Bireme (1980), Sun Princess (1983), and Salsabil (1990).
- St. Leger: He won this race three times, with Dunfermline (1977), Sun Princess (1983), and Minster Son (1988).
Other Important Wins
Willie Carson also won many other major races, including:
- Ascot Gold Cup (3 wins)
- Champion Stakes (1 win)
- Diamond Jubilee Stakes (5 wins)
- Eclipse Stakes (3 wins)
- Haydock Sprint Cup (3 wins)
- International Stakes (3 wins)
- July Cup (2 wins)
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (4 wins)
- King's Stand Stakes (3 wins)
- Middle Park Stakes (4 wins)
- Nunthorpe Stakes (3 wins)
- Prince of Wales's Stakes (4 wins)
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (8 wins)
- Racing Post Trophy (3 wins)
- St. James's Palace Stakes (2 wins)
- Sun Chariot Stakes (4 wins)
- Yorkshire Oaks (5 wins)
He also had many wins in major races in other countries like France, Germany, Ireland, and Italy, showing he was a truly international jockey.
