#BettingPeople: ROY HARKNETT

#BettingPeople: Roy Harknett left his Enfield home aged just 14 to work in Derby and Grand National winning trainer Willie Stephenson’s yard. In this three part #BettingPeople interview Roy talks about his youth working in yards, then returning as an adult in his 50’s to ride out again and drive horseboxes all over Europe.

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ROY HARKNETT (part 1 of 3)

Roy talks about working for Willie Stephenson while still at school, he remembers the disciplinarian trainer that wasn’t averse to dishing out physical punishment for misdemeanours by his staff. He talks about an initiation that was of its time, getting a taste for whiskey care of Oxo’s owner Mr Biggs

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ROY HARKNETT (part 2 of 3)

Roy continues his story with tales of less that salubrious conditions for travelling lads, making the newspaper for all the wrong reasons, losing his horse so jacking in his job, boxing in Newmarket and making life-long friends in the racing game.

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ROY HARKNETT (part 3 of 3)

Roy finds himself back in the saddle in his 50’s, riding out for John Jenkins, working for William Haggas who told him to drop the ‘Sir’ saving a lad being savaged by his charge, remembering his mate Nobby who died on the gallops despite the best efforts of Steve Cauthen who tried to save him and finally retiring from the racing game.

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ROY HARKNETT #BettingPeople PODCAST