Padworth man reflects on friend's Grand National win

Former Newbury Grammar School pupil Bruce Hobbs became the youngest jockey to win the Grand National in 1938 aged 17

AS the 164th Grand National approaches at Aintree tomorrow (Saturday) one Padworth Common grandfather reflects on the time his Newbury Grammar School friend became the youngest jockey to win the world's most famous horse race.

Douglas Lawrence of Padworth Common attended Newbury Grammar School between 1932-36 but little did he know that two years later one of his school pals would be running in the Grand National, let alone win it.

The 90-year-old was in the same form as the jockey Bruce Hobbs, who won the Grand National in 1938 .

Hobbs, who moved to England from America in 1922, remains the youngest jockey to win the title aged 17, and his horse, Battleship, who was trained by Hobbs' father, Reginald, remains the smallest horse ever to win the race.

Mr Lawrence remembers the day how he found out the news his friend had won the famous title.

“I think I read about his win in the newspaper,” he said. “I saw the name Bruce Hobbs and I thought ‘I know him'.

“I didn't know he was going to be racing, had I done I would have put a bet on. I expect Battleship would have been pretty good odds at the time. I think the horse was only fifteen hands high which was pretty small for a Grand National horse.”

Later that year, Hobbs, who was tall for a jockey at 6ft 3in, made history by becoming the first jockey to win three Grand Nationals when he won the Welsh Grand National and the Long Island Grand National.

A fall late in 1938 would effectively end his career but Hobbs returned to the sport as a trainer aged 25 and had a spell in the 1950s as assistant to trainer George Beeby in Compton.

Hobbs retired in 1985 and died in 2005 aged 84.

Mr Lawrence, whose parents Frank and Gwenderline were former postmasters at Padworth Common Post Office, remembers his school friend fondly: “Bruce and I were quite friendly at school. There were about 30 in the form and we all used to mix together.

“When I was at Newbury Grammar School a lot of the boys were from Lambourn and the valley and were sons of racehorse trainers but I never expected one to win the Grand National.”

To watch footage of the 1938 Grand National click on the link below.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=14312