Editing Terry Biddlecombe

{{Short description|English National Hunt racing jockey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox horseracing personality
| name        = Terry Biddlecombe
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| occupation  = [[Jockey]]
| birth_date  = 2 February 1941
| birth_place = 
| death_date  = 5 January 2014 (aged 72)
| death_place = 
| career wins = 905
| race        = [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]]<br />[[Champion Hurdle]]<br />[[Welsh Grand National]]<br />[[Triumph Hurdle]]<br />[[Mackeson Gold Cup]]<br />[[Irish Sweeps Hurdle]]
| awards      = 
| honours     = 
| horses      = Woodland Venture<br />[[Comedy of Errors (horse)]]<br />[[Gay Trip]]<br />[[Best Mate]]
}}

'''Terry Biddlecombe''' (2 February 1941 – 5 January 2014) was an English [[National Hunt racing]] jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. He was [[British jump racing Champion Jockey|Champion Jockey]] in 1965, 1966 and 1969.

Biddlecombe was born in [[Hartpury]], [[Gloucester]] on 2 February 1941.<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10554122/Terry-Biddlecombe-obituaries.html |title=Terry Biddlecombe - obituaries |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |accessdate=2014-02-24}}</ref> He rode 114 winners in the 1964/1965 season, and followed that with 102 the next season. In 1968/1969, he rode 77 winners, which saw him tied with [[Bob Davies (jockey)|Bob Davies]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/terry-biddlecombe-passes-away-at-72-1.1644856 |title=Terry Biddlecombe passes away at 72 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=5 January 2014}}</ref> One of his finest moments came in the 1967 [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]], when he rode the 100-8 horse ''[[Woodland Venture]]'' to victory. In 1972 he finished second in the [[Grand National]] on [[Gay Trip]]. Between 1972 and 1974, he rode many times for [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]], a well-known supporter of horse racing. In April 1974 he appeared on the television programme ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'', and finally retired from competitive racing having posted more than 900 winners.<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing |last1=Kay |first1=Dr Joyce |last2=Vamplew |first2=Professor Wray |year=2004 |isbn=978-0714682921 |publisher=Routledge}}</ref><ref name=Telegraph/>

==Early life==
His father Walter was a successful point to point jockey and farmer.  His mother, Nancy was a horsewoman.  His elder brother Tony, also a successful amateur jockey until he gave up racing to take over the family farm was born on 6 November 1938 and his sister Sue was born in May 1948.<ref name="Parents and family">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =11}}</ref>

Brother Tony was [[National Hunt]] amateur champion jockey in 1961/2 and his cousin, Peter Jones was also a jockey.<ref name="Racing relatives">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | pages =18–19}}</ref>

==Career==
On 23 February 1957 Biddlecombe was unplaced on first ride on Balkan Flower at [[Wincanton Racecourse|Wincanton]]<ref name="First ride">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =19}}</ref> and rode his first winner, Burnella, at the same course on 6 March 1958 beating [[Fred Winter]] in a photo finish.<ref name="First winner">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =21}}</ref>

In February 1960 Biddlecombe turned professional.<ref name="Turns professional">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =30}}</ref>  Shortly after he had his first ride in the [[Grand National]] on Aliform where he fell at the 22nd fence ([[Becher's Brook]]).<ref name="First [[Grand National]] ride">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =37}}</ref>
Biddlecombe had his first ride for [[Fred Rimell]] in 1961, and on 28 January 1962 rode his first winner for him on Voleur.  He was retained as his second jockey (behind [[Bobby Beasley]]) for the 1962/3 season<ref name="Rides for [[Fred Rimell]]">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =53}}</ref> and was retained as first jockey for the 1963/4 season.<ref name="First jockey for [[Fred Rimell]]">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =76}}</ref>

On 27 February 1970, Biddlecombe suffered a life-threatening fall on King's Dream at [[Kempton Park Racecourse|Kempton Park]] where he ruptured a kidney and broke 3 ribs.  He returned to race riding on 29 April 1970 but missed the winning ride on [[Gay Trip]] in the [[Grand National]],<ref name="Serious injury">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | pages =160–4}}</ref> a horse he was to ride in the next 2 [[Grand National]]s, falling at the 1st fence in 1971 and finishing 2nd in 1972.

Due to increasing weight concerns, [[Fred Rimell]] replaced Biddlecombe with Bill Smith as stable jockey for the 1972/3 season.<ref name="Loses [[Fred Rimell]] retainer">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =186}}</ref>  Biddlecombe continued as a freelance jockey, riding some Rimell horses and many horses for [[Fulke Walwyn]] and [[Ryan Price (trainer)|Ryan Price]].

On 14 March 1974, he retired from riding after finishing 3rd on Game Spirit in the [[Cheltenham Gold Cup|Gold Cup]] and unplaced on Amarind in the final race of the day.<ref name="Retires">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =211}}</ref>

Biddlecombe was [[National Hunt]] champion jockey on 3 occasions.  1965 with a season's career best 114 wins, 1966 (102 wins) and 1969 (77 wins) when he tied with Bob Davies, his future brother in law.<ref name="3 times champion">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =220}}</ref>

Biddlecombe retired with 905 British winners - at the time, the only [[National Hunt]] jockey to have ridden more was [[Stan Mellor]] - and reputedly at least 47 broken bones.

Biddlecombe was a regular for the Jockeys Cricket XI, usually keeping wicket.

With a large frame, he was 5 foot 11 tall, he fought a constant battle with his weight and increasingly with alcohol.

==Personal life==
On 26 July 1968, Biddlecombe married Bridget Tyrwhitt-Drake.<ref name="First marriage">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co| isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =105}}</ref>  They had two daughters, Laura (born 10 December 1972) and Elizabeth (born 26 April 1974).<ref name="Children of first marriage">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =216}}</ref>

On retirement, Biddlecombe applied for a permit to train, but was refused by the [[Jockey Club]] as his wife already ran a livery yard from the premises.<ref name="Refused permit to train">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co| isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =217}}</ref>

He had spells as a [[BBC Sport]] paddock commentator and racing correspondent for Midlands ATV.<ref name="TV career">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =210}}</ref> It was whilst doing a feature that he first met [[Henrietta Knight (racehorse trainer)|Henrietta Knight]].

In 1981, he married Ann Hodgson,<ref name="Second marriage">{{Cite book | last =Biddlecombe | first =Terry | title =Winner's Disclosure | year =1982 | publisher =Stanley Paul & Co | isbn =0-09-147550-3 | page =128}}</ref> they had three children, including Robert, a successful jockey. They emigrated to [[Australia]] in 1985 and a farm outside [[Perth]] where alcoholism eventually led to the end of the marriage.

In 1992 Biddlecombe returned to [[England]] and with the help of the Injured Jockeys Fund, dried out. A few months later he met [[Henrietta Knight (racehorse trainer)|Henrietta Knight]] again.  They married in 1995.

==Later life==
Biddlecombe married the trainer [[Henrietta Knight (racehorse trainer)|Henrietta Knight]] in 1995, having given her the ultimatum "It's the bottle or me".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/its-the-bottle-or-me-7285198.html |title='It's the bottle or me' |author=Lucy Cavendish |publisher=standard.co.uk |date=22 December 2003 |accessdate=13 December 2013}}</ref>

Together with his wife, held open days at their stables, with many coming to see the 3 x Cheltenham Gold Cup winner ''[[Best Mate]]'', who was ridden to victory by [[Jim Culloty]] in 3 consecutive Gold cups in 2002, 2003 & 2004 .<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/3527015.stm |title=Best Mate: Story of a champion |date=12 March 2004 |work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Another of their star horses, ''[[Edredon Bleu]]'' won the 2003 [[King George VI Chase]] at [[Kempton Park Racecourse]].

In the early 1980s, Terry worked with the actor [[John Hurt]] for his role in the 1983 film ''[[Champions (1984 film)|Champions]]'', the biopic of jockey [[Bob Champion]].
Terry was followed into the racing game by his son, from his second marriage, Robert.

He had remained involved in [[horse racing]] until his death on 5 January 2014 following a long illness.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/25611516 |title=Terry Biddlecombe: Former jockey, husband of Henrietta Knight, dies |date=5 January 2014 |accessdate= 5 January 2014 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/terry-biddlecombe-jump-jockey-who-was-champion-three-times-and-enjoyed-a-second-career-assisting-his-trainer-wife-henrietta-knight-9044819.html |title=Terry Biddlecombe: Jump jockey who was champion three times and enjoyed a second career assisting his trainer wife, Henrietta Knight |date=8 January 2014 |accessdate= 8 January 2014 |author=Sue Montgomery}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0081164}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biddlecombe, Terry}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at The King's School, Gloucester]]
[[Category:English jockeys]]
[[Category:British Champion jumps jockeys]]