Among one of the oldest adventure sports, he was admired and revered in every country where he rode, where his professional career and even his personal life were always followed with great anticipation. Although he is now retired, in any conversation among fans of racehorses, Lester and his whip always come up. Let’s tell his story.
His birth and childhood
He was born on 5 November 1935 into a family with three generations on his father’s side deeply involved in the world of horse racing, including triumphs in the Grand National. His mother, Iris Rickaby, was a winner in her time of the only race open to both men and women; his father, Fred Rickaby, had won the Oaks with Canterbury Pilgrim.
Lester, the apprentice
From his debut at the age of 12, Lester had to immerse himself in this demanding activity, rising at 6:30 a.m. to attend the stables and ride in training sessions. By 8:30 a.m., he resumed the normal life of a student. At just 14, he was already crowned champion apprentice, securing 52 wins out of 404 rides.
The first victory in a "classic"
His first classic victory came in the Epsom Derby of 1954 with Never Say Die, a 33/1 outsider. He was only 18 years old.
Days later, he suffered the most severe suspension of his career when stewards revoked his riding licence for six months due to dangerous riding against Gordon Richards, the most decorated jockey of all time. Because of this suspension, Lester was unable to ride Never Say Die in the easy victory the horse would achieve in the St. Leger, the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
Piggott joins trainer Noel Murless
Piggott’s fortunes, which had begun to suffer due to alarming weight gain, took a sharp turn in his favour. The stewards decided to review his penalty, which was finally lifted in October; Gordon Richards, his supposed great rival, suffered a fall that ended his career after 35 active seasons, marked by 26 championships.
Noel Murless, a trainer with multiple winning records, offered Piggott a contract to ride his stable’s horses. This partnership would last for 12 years.
Crepello, the Queen, and the Aga Khan
It wasn’t until 1957 that he secured another classic victory. This time with Crepello, winning the Guineas and then the Derby. Two days later, he claimed his first classic triumph for the Queen of England in the Oaks. In 1959, he wore another famous silks—those of the Aga Khan—to a double classic victory in the Guineas and Oaks. He also won his first classic outside the British Isles: the German Derby aboard Orsini.
Topping the standings
His first jockeys' championship came in 1960, coinciding with St. Paddy’s wins in the Derby and St. Leger—the same year he married Susan Armstrong, sister of Robert, who would later train Moorstyle, one of Piggott’s most cherished horses.
Weight struggles
The next three years were bleak. His weight issues worsened, and he missed eight classic races. His career seemed at risk, so he abandoned his peaceful holidays in the Bahamas after the winter break and instead spent those months riding frenetically in America, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
He used his Sundays off in England to race on the continent. On one such occasion, he set the world record for the lowest-paying bet in Milan: staking £10,000 to win £10,001.
Sir Ivor, Lester Piggott’s favourite horse. Yves Saint-Martin, his great rival
Between 1964 and 1971, he won eight consecutive championships and triumphed with Sir Ivor (his favourite horse) in ’68, and the Triple Crown with Nijinsky in ’70, stringing together 11 straight wins—until Yves Saint-Martin unexpectedly beat him with Sassafras in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The defeat was a profound shock for his team and British fans alike. Nijinsky, owned by Charles W. Engelhard, the Platinum King, is considered by many the Horse of the Century.
The "Sir" of British housewives
From 1967 to 1974, he refused to be tied to any contract, despite beginning his partnership with Vincent O’Brien. His ability to choose the best horse to ride in each race, based on his own judgement, boosted his statistics and cemented his credibility among British housewives, who would bet en masse on his selections—turning it into a social phenomenon. In 1975, Piggott was awarded the Order of the British Empire, earning the title of Sir.
Rheingold and the elusive "Arc de Triomphe"
With subsequent Derby wins, he first matched and then surpassed the records of Jem Robinson and Steve Donoghue in this unique race—one where even Gordon Richards, for example, never won. Between those two triumphs, in 1973, Rheingold finally exorcised his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe demons, where his horses had previously lost... four times, each by less than a length: Ribocco, Sir Ivor, Park Top, and Nijinsky, in four consecutive years from 1967 to 1970.
The double with Alleged. The legacy of Ribot
The victory of The Minstrel in the ’77 Derby, wearing Robert Sangster’s silks, marked the end of the O’Brien-Piggott partnership. Five of his Derby wins had been on horses O’Brien sourced from America—an astute move in a market bred for different purposes. Their collaboration still had one last triumph: Alleged’s back-to-back Arc wins, a feat unmatched since Ribot.
Difficult years
After these successes came a dry spell. Three years without adding anything significant to his record. His contract with Robert Sangster ended, and he signed with young trainer Henry Cecil. Early that season, a near-fatal fall required plastic surgery to repair his ear. At 45, many predicted the end.
The genius returns
A week later, he won the 1000 Guineas with Fairy Footsteps, soon followed by the Oaks with Blue Wind—and after nine years, he topped the standings again.
The next year, Teenoso became his ninth Derby winner, sealing his 11th championship with 188 wins.
A year later, he doubled up in classics with Circus Plume and Comanche Run. The latter, a neck victory in the St Leger, extended his legend: 28 British classic wins, surpassing Frank Buckle’s 157-year record.
Shadeed’s 2000 Guineas win added another twist to his extraordinary legacy.
Piggott refuses to ride Wildenstein’s mare in the "Arc"
Cecil’s growing stable meant Piggott had to choose between outstanding horses in major races.
His relationship with Daniel Wildenstein had soured. The rift became irreparable when Lester chose Awaasif over Wildenstein’s Arc winner, All Along, in 1983. By late ’84, Cecil and Piggott parted ways.
The "Long Fellow" in prison
Undeclared earnings led to tax issues, culminating in his imprisonment. After several months, he was released.
In 1995, aged 59 and with over 5,000 wins, he retired for good.
Lester’s toughness—truth or myth?
His exceptional career is shadowed by claims he pushed horses beyond their limits. Whether true or not, this reputation stems from horses failing to perform as well under other jockeys.
Examining his Spanish rides—winning the Oaks with Delfica, the Gran Premio de Madrid with Toté, and a major handicap with Gebey—confirms his demanding style. Only Maspalomas, a Derby winner who later excelled, escaped unscathed.
The gallop, the balance, the triumph
Critics cite his short stirrups, taciturn nature, or materialism—but all agree on his peerless ability to adapt his centre of gravity to a horse’s motion. A virtuoso of balance, his instinctive racecraft leaves a statistical legacy that may never be surpassed.
