Bob Champion: The Story Behind One Of Racing’s Most Remarkable Comebacks

Born in Sussex and raised in Yorkshire, Champion’s passion for horses developed from a young age. He rode his first point-to-point winner at just 15 and soon embarked on a professional career in the saddle that would take him to the very top of National Hunt racing.

His desire to become a jockey was sparked during childhood visits to Redcar, where one rider caught his attention.

“Dad used to take me to Redcar racing. One day, I was there and I saw the great Lester Piggott ride and I wondered why the crowds were always double when Lester was there. I thought I’d like a little bit of that.”

By the late 1970s, Champion had established himself as one of the country’s most respected jump jockeys, riding winners at the biggest meetings and for some of the sport’s leading trainers. One of the biggest wins of his career came at Newbury in 1978 when he partnered Approaching to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup (now the Coral Gold Cup).

The Coral Gold Cup was, and remains, one of the most prestigious handicap chases in the National Hunt calendar, often attracting the very best staying chasers in training. Winning the race represented a major milestone in Champion’s career and cemented his reputation among the sport’s elite riders.

Looking back on Approaching and that memorable victory, Champion recalled: “He was a very brave horse, I must admit. Everything went right when I won. It was a race that meant so much, and I finally achieved winning it.”

Just a year later, however, his career was brought to a sudden halt when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Champion faced a lengthy period away from racing as he underwent treatment.

Recalling the moment he was given the diagnosis, Champion said: “He sat me down and said, ‘Bob, I don’t like to tell you this, but you’ve got cancer. You’ve got two choices. One, if you don’t have any treatment, you may live four months if you’re lucky. Two, if you have the treatment, it will give you a 30 to 40% chance of living.”

Champion’s response: “We ended up having treatment.”

Remarkably, Champion returned to race riding and, in 1981, completed one of sport’s most celebrated comebacks. Partnering Aldaniti in the Grand National, with the pair taking race victory just years after his diagnosis.

Not only had Champion overcome cancer to return to the saddle, but Aldaniti himself had recovered from a serious injury that had threatened his career. Together, horse and rider produced one of the most memorable victories in Grand National history.

Reflecting on Aldaniti’s own comeback, Champion said: “He’d been off as long as myself as well. When betting for the National came out he was 66/1. When I went past the post, he was 16/1 – that’s how impressive he was.”

Champion retired from race riding in 1983, having ridden around 500 winners during his career. The same year, he established the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, an organisation that continues to support cancer research and has raised £18 million since its formation.

We welcomed Bob Champion back to Newbury, to reflect on his time in the saddle, his Coral Gold Cup success aboard Approaching and the remarkable journey that followed.

BOB CHAMPION CANCER TRUST