The ‘Galloping Gardener’ Mick Jeffries returned to the saddle earlier this month at the age of 56.
It’s the first public ride Mick’s had in 26 years, and he says he loved it.
He’s called the Galloping Gardener because as an amateur rider back in the day he needed to earn a bit of cash on the side to make ends meet.
I’m not sure if he rode a winner back in the early days but he’s back out on the course now.
That said he didn’t have a winner on his return at Southwell either – with Adam West-trained Final Choice coming fifth in the Amateur Riders’ Handicap earlier in January.
Mick is 16 years older than me, so it’s got me thinking about if I’d ever make a return to the saddle following my retirement back in May last year.
Well it’s obviously very different circumstances to Mick, who made the decision to return after his son Christopher was born with spina bifida.
So what would it take for ME to come back to racing at the ripe old age of 56…?
A huge nose-dive in the wrong direction!
I have to say if am returning at 56 the circumstances in my life must have taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Something will have to have gone horribly, horribly wrong!