Graham Bradley

Graham John Bradley — "Brad" to everyone who knew him — was one of the most gifted and instinctively stylish National Hunt jockeys of his generation. Born on 8 September 1960 in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, he was raised in racing's heartland by his father, trainer Norman Bradley, and his mother Sheila. Taught to ride by his father almost before he could walk, Graham carried that natural horsemanship into a decorated 22-year professional career that yielded more than 700 winners from nearly 5,000 rides. His career took its defining shape when he joined the yard of Yorkshire trainer Michael Dickinson in the early 1980s. The partnership reached its peak on 17 March 1983, when Bradley rode Bregawn to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup — the centrepiece of one of the most astonishing results in racing history as Dickinson's horses filled all five finishing positions. That same week he was crowned leading rider at the Festival. He had already shown his staying power the previous autumn, winning the 1982 Hennessy Gold Cup on Bregawn, and he was named Champion Conditional Jockey in 1982. The seasons that followed produced a cascade of major victories: the Irish Grand National on Rhyme 'n' Reason in 1985, the King George VI Chase on the beloved Wayward Lad, four Grand Annual Chase wins at Cheltenham — a post-1945 record — and the 1996 Champion Hurdle on 9/1 shot Collier Bay, a result that stopped the racing world in its tracks. His best season, 1986–87, brought 53 winners. Described by those who rode alongside him as having "beautiful hands" and a master tactician's understanding of race dynamics and horse temperaments, Graham was, as fellow jockey Steve Smith Eccles put it simply, "top shop." Away from the racecourse he was equally memorable: a larger-than-life character with a generous and kind nature, a devoted golfer, and a man who loved life and the friendships it brought. In 2000 he married his long-term partner Amanda — known to all as "Bob" — in Hull, and on 15 April 2002 they welcomed their daughter Georgia May, for whom A.P. McCoy served as godfather. After retiring in November 1999 he authored his autobiography, The Wayward Lad, with journalist Steve Taylor, before reinventing himself as a bloodstock agent sourcing horses from Germany for owners including celebrities Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman. In 2020 the family relocated to France, where Graham was subsequently diagnosed with semantic dementia. He faced that illness with the same quiet courage he had shown in the saddle for over two decades. He passed away peacefully on 2 August 2026, aged 65, surrounded by Amanda and Georgia. The racing world lost a sheer class act; his family lost their heart.