James Kenneth Murray Oliver OBE (1 February 1914 – 17 June 1999) was a Scottish racehorse trainer, breeder and jockey. [1] In a career spanning over fifty years he trained over 1,000 winners. [1]
Life & times
Oliver was educated at Warriston School, Moffat and Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. [1] After school he joined the family livestock auctioneering business of Andrew Oliver & Son in Hawick, the oldest such firm in the UK having been founded in 1817. [1] He made his winning point-to-point debut in the spring of 1935 on a one-eyed horse called Delman. [1] In September 1937 he held his first bloodstock sales at Kelso. [1]
During World War Two, Oliver served with the Yorkshire Hussars in North Africa and Sicily. [1] He was invalided back to the Scottish Borders and decided the family firm should set up an estate agency. [1] The firm was soon selling farms all over Great Britain and occasionally livestock to the new owners as well. [1]
In 1950 he won the Scottish Grand National as a jockey on a horse called Sanvina. [2] In the early 1950s he received a permit to train; his first victory in 1953 at Rothbury was also one of his final wins as a jockey. [2]
In the 1959 Grand National the Oliver trained Wyndburgh finished second. [2] The horse would repeat the same result in the 1962 Grand National, the only horse to ever finish second three times without winning. [2] Oliver was also second in the 1958 Grand National with Moidore's Token. [2]
Oliver won his first Scottish Grand National in 1963 with Pappageno's Cottage. [2] He would win a record five Scottish Grand Nationals with further wins in 1970, 1971, 1979 and 1982. [2]
In November 1968 he won five races in a day at Wolverhampton. [2] At the peak of his career he was winning around 50 races a season. [2]
In 1962 Oliver and Willie Stephenson resurrected the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales. [2]
Oliver was appointed an OBE in the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to farming and the local community. [2]
Notable wins
- Scottish Grand National, 1963, 1970, 1971, 1979 and 1982. [3]
- Grand Annual Chase, Cheltenham Festival, 1965, 1977. [3]
- County Handicap Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival, 1966. [3]
- Arkle Challenge Trophy, Cheltenham Festival, 1966. [3]
- Hennessy Gold Cup, 1979. [3]
- Greenall Whitley Gold Cup, 1972, 1973, 1975. [3]
- Charlie Hall Chase, 1988. [3]
- ASW Handicap Chase, 1964, 1965, 1974. [3]
Biography
- Dan Buglass (1994). Ken Oliver: The Benign Bishop. Marlborough Books. ISBN 1873919158.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kenneth Oliver". The Herald (Glasgow). 19 June 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ken Oliver". The Independent. 20 June 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Alan Yuill Walker (2017). The Scots & The Turf: Racing and Breeding – The Scottish Influence. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 978-1785301872. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
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James Kenneth Murray Oliver OBE (1 February 1914 – 17 June 1999) was a Scottish racehorse trainer, breeder and jockey. [1] In a career spanning over fifty years he trained over 1,000 winners. [1]
Life & times
Oliver was educated at Warriston School, Moffat and Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. [1] After school he joined the family livestock auctioneering business of Andrew Oliver & Son in Hawick, the oldest such firm in the UK having been founded in 1817. [1] He made his winning point-to-point debut in the spring of 1935 on a one-eyed horse called Delman. [1] In September 1937 he held his first bloodstock sales at Kelso. [1]
During World War Two, Oliver served with the Yorkshire Hussars in North Africa and Sicily. [1] He was invalided back to the Scottish Borders and decided the family firm should set up an estate agency. [1] The firm was soon selling farms all over Great Britain and occasionally livestock to the new owners as well. [1]
In 1950 he won the Scottish Grand National as a jockey on a horse called Sanvina. [2] In the early 1950s he received a permit to train; his first victory in 1953 at Rothbury was also one of his final wins as a jockey. [2]
In the 1959 Grand National the Oliver trained Wyndburgh finished second. [2] The horse would repeat the same result in the 1962 Grand National, the only horse to ever finish second three times without winning. [2] Oliver was also second in the 1958 Grand National with Moidore's Token. [2]
Oliver won his first Scottish Grand National in 1963 with Pappageno's Cottage. [2] He would win a record five Scottish Grand Nationals with further wins in 1970, 1971, 1979 and 1982. [2]
In November 1968 he won five races in a day at Wolverhampton. [2] At the peak of his career he was winning around 50 races a season. [2]
In 1962 Oliver and Willie Stephenson resurrected the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales. [2]
Oliver was appointed an OBE in the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to farming and the local community. [2]
Notable wins
- Scottish Grand National, 1963, 1970, 1971, 1979 and 1982. [3]
- Grand Annual Chase, Cheltenham Festival, 1965, 1977. [3]
- County Handicap Hurdle, Cheltenham Festival, 1966. [3]
- Arkle Challenge Trophy, Cheltenham Festival, 1966. [3]
- Hennessy Gold Cup, 1979. [3]
- Greenall Whitley Gold Cup, 1972, 1973, 1975. [3]
- Charlie Hall Chase, 1988. [3]
- ASW Handicap Chase, 1964, 1965, 1974. [3]
Biography
- Dan Buglass (1994). Ken Oliver: The Benign Bishop. Marlborough Books. ISBN 1873919158.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kenneth Oliver". The Herald (Glasgow). 19 June 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ken Oliver". The Independent. 20 June 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Alan Yuill Walker (2017). The Scots & The Turf: Racing and Breeding – The Scottish Influence. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 978-1785301872. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |