- Quote: ‘It is hard to believe that he and Susan have now both gone, they were very much part of my life since my earliest days. Great friends of my parents, who bridged the gap in a unique way’ – trainer Nick Alexander.
- Andrew Atkinson looks back on the career of Johnny Bradburne. And trainer Nick Alexander, based at Kinneston in Fife, reflects on fond memories, both in racing and on the golf course.
Amatuer jockey Johnny Bradburne has died, aged 74, not long after the passing of his wife Sue in 2019, aged 80.
Johnny retired in 1995, after 49 years in the saddle, but remained active within racing circles.
Notable horses include General Chandos and Off The Bru, who he rode to finish third in the 1992 Scottish National.
Sue, who took out her licence in 1988, and Johnny’s two children Lorna (Fowler) a trainer in Ireland, and former jockey Mark, a jockey coach, remain in the sport.
Since Johnny died he, along with his children Mark and Lorna, have been very much in my thoughts. Words of trainer Nick Alexander.
“It is hard to believe that he and Susan have now both gone, as they were very much part of my life since my earliest days, and as great friends of my parents as well, bridged the gap in a unique way.
“I rode, shot, golfed, did business, ate, drank and above all laughed with Johnny for the best part of 50 years and there was never a dull moment.
“Fiercely competitive, he nearly always won, and few things gave him more pleasure than taking money off me having “pressed” on the 18th tee.
“He and Susan even used to beat Rose and me at tennis on their immaculate grass court.
“They weren’t exactly mobile at that stage and it was their sheer determination that left us shaking our heads in disbelief. Loads of fun afterwards, always, as they were supremely generous hosts.
“Latterly they gave us a huge leg up with our business here at Kinneston, when Susan retired and passed on her horses to be trained here.
“We didn’t agree on everything of course, but Johnny was always wise counsel, and I know he got a lot of pleasure from the likes of Or de Grugy, Jet Master and Rossini’s Dancer becoming stable stalwarts and giving us so many special days.
Jet Master: Nick Alexander with his four children after winning the Cyril Alexander Memorial.
“Aside from being a talented rider, shrewd land agent and very good fun in a mischievous way, Johnny was also exceptionally tough.
“The terrible illness that he picked up in Cuba would have killed most people and, whilst it left him incapacitated to an extent, he battled on.
“I never once heard him complain, despite the frustration such a physically active man must have felt. He at least appeared to be able to tolerate pain like nobody else, and he continued to live life to the full.
“Travelling extensively and popping up at racecourses, the length and breadth of the country.
“I believe his last holiday abroad was to explore the ancient caves in Cappadocia in Turkey a couple of years ago.
“He wouldn’t let it stop him, and infuriatingly he still managed to beat me at golf through skillful handicap negotiation as much as my bad golf though he was popping an extraordinary number of pills to keep him right.
“Johnny hadn’t been well this year, his ailments finally winning the battle, but he continued to follow racing on his ipad from hospital and his passing leaves a big hole.
“Sad times indeed, but lockdown wouldn’t have been for him, and he lives on through Mark and Lorna and his talented grandchildren, who I know he adored.
“Thanks for the memories Johnny, they are what life’s about. I’ll miss you, we will all miss you.” Nick Alexander.
Photographs: courtesy Nick Alexander.
