This Is Your Life: Richard Dunwoody

Richard DUNWOODY MBE (1964-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Richard Dunwoody, jockey, was surprised by Michael Aspel in the weigh-in room at Ascot while interviewing jockey Joe Tizzard for BBC television.

Richard, who wanted to be a jockey from a young age, worked as an apprentice after leaving school, gaining his first win in 1983 at Cheltenham. The following year he rode four winners in one afternoon at Hereford, and in 1986 he won his first Grand National at the age of 22.

He was at the forefront of National Hunt racing, winning the Big Three races - the Grand National, the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and is best known for his partnership with Desert Orchid, on whom he won seven races. Over 17 seasons, he notched up a world record of 1699 winners, becoming Britain's most successful jump jockey, before retiring on doctor's orders.

programme details...

Edition No: 1043
Subject No: 1018
Broadcast date: Mon 13 Mar 2000
Broadcast time: 8.30-9.00pm
Recorded: Sat 19 Feb 2000
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 40
Edition: 18
Code name: Hedge

on the guest list...

David Nicholson
Martin Pipe
Nicky Henderson
Gail - sister
Paul - brother-in-law
George - nephew
Charlotte Hutchings - partner
Graham Bradley
Hywel Davies
Simon McNeil
Carl Llewellyn
Chris Maude
Graham McCourt
Luke Harvey
Mick Fitzgerald
Norman Williamson
Peter Liddle
John Buckingham
Tony McCoy
Clare Balding
George - father
Gillian - mother
John Kennedy
Anthony Kelleway
John Bosley
Marcus Armytage
Gee Armytage
Bob Champion
Jenny Pitman
Kathleen McIlveen
Freddie Starr
Pearse Doherty
Leo Moran
Peter Scudamore
Stan Mellor
Janice Coyle
Desert Orchid
Frankie Dettori
Adrian Maguire
John Francombe

production team...

Researcher: Sue Venables
Writer: Joe Steeples
Director: John Gorman
Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
Executive Producer: John Longley
Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
Producer: Sue Green

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Equestrian Life

from racing to show jumping

Bob Champion

Frankie Dettori

Photographs and screenshots of Richard Dunwoody This Is Your Life

Richard Dunwoody recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, Method In My Madness, 10 Years Out of the Saddle...

In 2000 the BBC wanted me to interview the jockeys in the changing room at Aintree in April, before the start of the Grand National. This had never been done on television before, and they told me that as a trial run I would have to conduct interviews in the Ascot weighing room in February.

Hence two months into retirement I was duly interviewing Joe Tizzard, asking sensible questions about his win in the Mitsubishi Shogun Ascot Chase. Interview completed, I was ambushed by Michael Aspel brandishing a big red book.

"Richard Dunwoody, this is your life!"

Apparently I looked dumbstruck. In reality I was reflecting upon how apt the setting was. This is your life. Yes. I've noticed. My new life. Asking jockeys what it's like to win races.

The programme itself was the standard selection of clips from career highlights, punctuated by anecdotes from significant figures in the racing world as well as my friends and family. It was bittersweet. I could not help thinking the programme would be better entitled "That Was Your Life".

Series 40 subjects