‘To be in there with the likes of Sir Henry Cecil and my old mate Lester, I can’t believe it’.
Former jockey, trainer, and indefatigable fundraiser for the Injured Jockeys Fund, Jack Berry, has been announced as the latest inductee into the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame, an award that marks the crowning achievement for a man whose career began in quite humble fashion. Long after he left the tracks, his legacy lives far beyond them, engraved among the greatest racing legends.
Berry, who once spoke of himself as a "journeyman" jump jockey, turned to training and amassed more than 1,500 winners in a career that will be viewed with considerable respect. But, as important as his successes on the track are, he is likely to leave a legacy off it, too. Certainly, his greatest off-course achievements are rehabilitation facilities for injured jockeys; he is co-founder of many—and the one at Malton bears his name. Jack Berry House, like Oaksey House at Lambourn, has been a lifeline to jockeys during the darkest periods of their careers.
Reflecting on the time of his appointment, Berry was characteristically modest. As Brown Berry explained: "Back in 1996, I received an MBE from the Queen, and I thought that was a great honor. But to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, alongside legends like Sir Henry Cecil and my old mate Lester Piggott, is as good as it gets.". He says his whole life's work has been based on a desire to be of service to others, which he early demonstrated during his twenties by raising money for a school for the deaf.
While he was successful on the racing scene, Berry's greatest contribution to the sport was his ability to spot and train talented two-year-olds. He began with his reputation for picking up bargain horses and training them for early races before reselling. His method was simple, but it worked: "I'd buy them cheap, get them very fit, very early, and then run them in races they could win," Berry explained. And that is exactly what he did, becoming quickly recognized for fast, versatile horses.
O I Oyston was one of the horses closest to Berry's heart, whom he bought for a mere £2,600. "I rode him daily," Berry remembered with glee. "He was as good as gold for me, though he used to take the likes of other jockeys around. I treated him like a pet." What made him versatile? He won over distances ranging from six furlongs to two miles. Berry kept him at his retirement too, and it lived to be 31, a testament to the bond they share.
Berry is also mythic in his understanding of the art of training sprinters. In quick succession, he ran off a list of the best horses he ever trained—Palace House and Mind Games—but also included Bolshoi and Selhurst Park Flyer in his memory bank. "We had quite a few decent sprinters," Berry said. "Mind Games and Palace House were unlucky never to win a Group One, but they came up against some real champions in their time."
Apart from their very successful training career, Berry has been instrumental in raising enormous amounts of money for the Injured Jockeys Fund toward building and then continuing to build up jockey rehabilitation centers. His unstinting work was influential in convincing stakeholders of the need for a northern rehabilitation center. This was soon followed by the establishment of Jack Berry House at Malton. "It took three years to convince people we needed it," Berry said. "But we did it. People did all sorts to raise money, from skydiving to sponsored walks."
Berry credits the success of these centers to the tireless work of doctors, physiotherapists, and nurses who care for injured jockeys. "The staff are brilliant," Berry said. "I see the lads and lasses come in from hospitals in some states, but the team works wonders with them." Now at 86 years of age, Berry continues to "chip away," aiding others, not one to sit back and reflect on past successes. His induction into the Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to a man whose life has been devoted to the betterment of racing and the people within it.
