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Lester Piggott

Equestrian Sports

Lester Piggott was an English jockey and horse trainer who lived from 1935 to 2022. Known as The Long Fellow, he recorded 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain and about 5,300 worldwide, and won the Epsom Derby a record nine times, aboard Never Say Die in 1954, Crepello in 1957, St Paddy in 1960, Sir Ivor in 1968, Nijinsky in 1970, Roberto in 1972, Empery in 1976, The Minstrel in 1977 and Teenoso in 1983. He won 30 British Classic races and was Champion Jockey eleven times. Convicted of tax fraud in 1987, he served about a year in prison and was stripped of his OBE, but returned to riding in 1990 and won races including the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Facts
Birth Year
1935 1
Birth Date
1935-11-05 1
Death Year
2022 1
Death Date
2022-05-29 1
Nationality
English 1
Career Highlight
Recorded 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time. 1
Classification
Competition Category
Individual 1
Connections

Plays

Horse Racing, Sports
Source Wikipedia, Lester Piggott
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Lester Piggott
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, lead parenthetical, birth date
    5 November 1935
  • Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, lead parenthetical, birth year
    5 November 1935
  • Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, lead parenthetical, death date
    29 May 2022
  • Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, lead parenthetical, death year
    29 May 2022
  • Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, lead sentence, nationality
    was an English professional jockey and horse trainer.
  • Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, second sentence, career record
    With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time and the originator of a much-imitated style.
  • Wikipedia, article summary lead
    Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and horse trainer.
  • Plays: Horse Racing, Wikipedia article on Lester Piggott, lead sentence, sport identification
    was an English professional jockey and horse trainer.
View the Source
Frequently Asked Questions

Did Lester Piggott go to prison, and did it end his career?

He was convicted of tax fraud in 1987 and served just over a year, then returned to riding in 1990.

Yes. Piggott was convicted of tax fraud in 1987 and sentenced to three years in prison, but he served just over a year. He was also stripped of his OBE. The conviction did not end his career: he returned to riding in 1990 and won races including the Breeders' Cup Mile.

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