Jockey Bob Champion overcame impossible odds to achieve his dreams. His determination and dedication continue to inspire athletes many years after his famous Grand National win.
At only 15 years old, Bob Champion won his first horse race. After his initial taste of victory, he continued to race on the National Hunt circuit. His skill in the saddle won him plenty of races, as well as respect. He also proved skilful with the ladies too. His tempestuous love affairs were well-known and sometimes amusing to those around him.
Bob Champion and Aldaniti
Champion tried his luck racing in America and enjoyed success. Though his career really took off back in Britain, where he had dreams of winning the Grand National. He raced over the famous Aintree fences eight times after returning to Britain, always keeping his eyes on the big prize. However, his career and life was about to take a major detour.
In 1979, Bob Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In true Champion fashion, Bob refused to believe that his doctors were correct. He stubbornly insisted that there was a mistake in the diagnosis.
The diagnosis wasn’t wrong. Doctors gave Champion a maximum of eight months to live, with only a 40 percent chance of survival.
Things looked grim, but he was given a second chance. An extremely aggressive program of chemotherapy, if begun immediately, might just beat the odds. Champion agreed to begin the treatment the very same day.
Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer and told that they will most likely die within months would take some time away from work. Not Bob Champion. He returned to training and racing while still in treatment and set his sights on winning the 1980 Grand National.
Unfortunately, Champion’s treatment had not been easy on his body. A large-scale infection nearly claimed his life and he was forced to put off his Grand National ambitions Champion was soon recovering from his various hardships and back in training. In 1981, he rode Aldaniti in the Grand National. The two were a perfect pair: both hard-working, stubborn and recovering from serious health problems. Champion’s cancer and Aldaniti’s three leg injuries caused some to speculate that the team would be lucky to get round the course, nevermind win! However, even before the start of the race the public had taken Champion and Aldaniti to heart and backed the duo into 10/1 second favourites narrowly behind the favourite Spartan Missile who went off at 8/1.
The two survivors melded on the Aintree Racecourse that April day in 1981. Their victory is one of the most memorable and emotional moments ever to be recorded in horse racing. Coming in four-and-a-half lengths ahead of the competition, Champion and Aldaniti beat the odds and made history.
TV Commentator Peter O’Sullevan described the finish of the race to those watching… “It’s Aldaniti in the lead but being pressed now by Spartan Missile. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile and here comes John Thorne, 54 year old John Thorne putting in a storming finish. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile. Aldaniti is gonna win it, at the line, Aldaniti wins the National!”
You can watch Bob winning the Grand National below:
Bob continued to race and win until 1983. By that time, he had approximately 500 wins to his credit. After leaving racing, he focused his energy on training horses and running the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. The charity has raised millions of pounds for cancer research and Champion continues to raise funds for it to this day.
They taught us that, even when things look desperate, success is just over the next fence for those who choose to make the jump.
Although Aldaniti died in 1997 and Bob Champion retired from training horses in 1999, they are both legends of the horse racing world.
Their legacy is a sense of hope for all those who follow in their paths.
