Walter Swinburn
A jockey of sublime grace known as 'The Choirboy,' whose partnership with the mighty Shergar produced one of racing's most iconic Derby victories.
1961–2016 (age 55)·British jockey·Birthday: August 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Walter Swinburn possessed a touch so delicate and a racing brain so sharp that he made the dangerous, strength-sapping work of a jockey look like art. Born into a racing family in 1961, he was apprenticed to the formidable trainer Sir Michael Stoute, a partnership that would define careers. Swinburn's name became eternally linked with Shergar, the brilliant colt he rode to a breathtaking 10-length victory in the 1981 Epsom Derby—a margin of victory that stunned the sport. But Swinburn was more than a one-horse wonder; he won the Derby twice more, on Shahrastani and Lammtarra, and captured the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe twice. His career was nearly ended by a horrific fall in Hong Kong in 1996 that left him in a coma, but his fighting spirit saw him return to the saddle. After retiring from riding, he turned to training with modest success. Swinburn's life, however, was marked by private struggles. His death in 2016 at age 55 sent a wave of sadness through the racing world, which remembered not just his peerless talent in the saddle, but his quiet, thoughtful demeanor away from the track.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Walter was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Walter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Walter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2016Died at 55
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Rode Shergar to a record 10-length victory in the 1981 Epsom Derby.
- Won the Epsom Derby three times (Shergar, 1981; Shahrastani, 1986; Lammtarra, 1995).
- Won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe twice (All Along, 1983; Lammtarra, 1995).
- Rode over 1,500 winners in his career across Europe and internationally.
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'The Choirboy,' came from his youthful, clean-cut appearance when he first started riding.
He survived a life-threatening fall from a horse named 'The Geezer' at Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong.
His father, Wally Swinburn, was also a successful jockey and trainer in Ireland.
Swinburn piloted the filly All Along to an unprecedented sweep of the 1983 Canadian International, Turf Classic, and Washington, D.C. International.
“Shergar was the best I ever rode. He had a huge stride and a tremendous engine. He could quicken off any pace.”
