Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth with former top jockey Edgar Britt.
Bradley Photographers caught this special moment at Randwick during the Royal visit of 1992.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth renewed acquaintances with former top jockey Edgar Britt, who had ridden extensively for the Royal family in Britain in the late 1940’s.
For some eighteen months Britt had the honour of riding horses owned by King George VI while the Royal jockey Harry Carr was sidelined with a complicated leg fracture.
Edgar always said the King had a sound knowledge of racing and understood its vagaries. His Majesty came to watch his horses race whenever matters of state didn’t get in the way.
One of Edgar’s career highlights was to land a double in the Royal colours at Ascot. He won the Princess Royal Stakes on Angelola and the Waterford Stakes on Avila. The jockey was also thrilled to win the 1948 Yorkshire Oaks on Angelola.
Keep an eye out for an interview with Edgar Britt on “Sky Racing Flashbacks” in the near future. It features some amazing film footage of Edgar’s days in India and England. The former great jockey actually loaned me his personal film reel.
Edgar Clive Britt OAM died in January 2017, at the remarkable age of 103.