Passing of a Grand National Legend 

With less than two weeks remaining before the year’s most eagerly anticipated steeplechase, the national hunt community has been rocked by the sad news of the death of Reg Green earlier this week. One of the true stalwarts of England’s most famous race, Reg Green hadn’t missed a single Grand National since the end of world war two.

With six books on the subject of the Grand National to his name, Reg Green was considered the event’s unofficial historian. Green had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Grand National, and could list all the jockeys and trainers that had won the event.

Reg Green claimed that his favourite Grand National was the 1950 running of the race, which saw Jimmy Power ride Freebooter to victory as only seven horses finished the race out of a field of 49. The race historian wrote an article for the 2008 Grand National card that will be published on race day.

The words of Ginger McCain are a fitting tribute to this great patron of the Grand National: “Reg was the complete Grand National nut. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the race. It’s a shame he couldn’t have hung on for another 11 days – that’s very much out of order.”

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