Three-time South African Champion jockey Anthony Delpech said the feeling of loss he felt when finally forced to retire from the saddle last week was difficult to explain, although he was able to look back on a glittering career.
“Something that was a part of you is gone, you feel robbed. I was used to getting up in the morning to go to work and now I don’t know what to do with myself, but if you try and explain your feelings to people they just don’t understand.”
Even as he spoke he was in pain and something as routine as putting on shoes is now avoided if possible.
There is a burning sensation in his leg, hands and arms, with the leg being particularly noticeable.
“It feels as if somebody has rubbed deep heat on my leg down to my feet.”
Delpech started workriding again a couple of weeks ago and hoped this would help his path to recovery.
He rode a couple of horses the first day back and the burning in his leg got worse.
In a subsequent session he upped the number he rode by one or two and the burning got so bad he could hardly bear to have his riding breeches on.
His doctor advised him later that day to never ride a horse again as it was putting more pressure on the spine.
Delpech said, “I went in that day not realising it was going to be the end so it was really hard.”
However, he had to put his family responsibilities first and heeded the advice.
Doctors told him after his shocking fall in the SA Classic in April last year he would likely never ride again. However, his own doctor had seen how badly he wanted to get back in the saddle and had given him every opportunity to do so. Delpech tried everything from oxygen therapy to physiotherapy to chiropractic treatment and other methods in his bid to recover.
He said one of the hardest parts in accepting his fate was that despite being 50 years of age he felt he had been riding better than ever at the time of the fall. He said he owed this partly to Mary Slack, who had retained him for two years.
He said, “It was two of the best years of my career, I felt rejuvenated, it was like having a new job and I couldn’t wait to get to work to see which new horses of Mary’s there were. She has been behind me throughout this ordeal and has contacted me at least once a week.”
Asked what he would miss most he said, “To me the horses were always the most important and of course I will miss the riding too. Towards the end I appreciated even the maiden winners. I will miss the people too, the owners have been fantastic.”
His highlights were too many to mention, but he singled out his four Vodacom Durban July victories and every win he had on Vengeance Of Rain. He rated the latter the best horse he ever rode and among the races he won on him were Hong Kong’s biggest race, the Hong Kong Derby, and the Grade 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
In South Africa he said Triple Tiara, July and Met-winner Igugu was one of the best fillies he ever rode.
His three South African Jockeys Championships were also highlights and he added, “Especially the last one, as I was a bit older and appreciated it a bit more. Even when I broke the record, I was young and so busy I didn’t really appreciate it as much as I should have.”
The record he was speaking about was the staggering 334 winners he rode in the 1998/1999 season, which looks to be one of the safest records in South African sport.
He mentioned “Muis” Roberts, Garth Puller, Basil Marcus, Jeff Lloyd and Anton Marcus among the many great jockeys he had ridden against.
He added, “Anton and I had a great rivalry for six years. We had great respect for each other and that competition is one of things I have missed most.”
Mike de Kock was naturally the trainer he will have the best memories of and he said, “I rode for him when I came back from Hong Kong on the recommendation of Kevin Shea. I had 99% of my success with him and learnt so much. He taught me a lot about racing and people and just about everything. I saw horses coming into his yard and how he could turn them around. Bold Silvano was one I will always remember, I am not saying he wasn’t good already, but the way he turned him around was phenomenal. In every sport there are those who have to work hard at what they do and those who are gifted and Mike was one of the most gifted people I have seen in horseracing. I didn’t used to say much or ask a lot I just watched to see what he did. I learnt so much and will take all that with me.”
Delpech has had such an emotional few days he has not yet began planning his next career move and admitted riding was all he knew.
He has had to learn to live with the pain and it is still not known whether this will ease or be permanent.
The public, owners and trainers have missed Delpech’s race riding skills and of course with Anton Marcus now dominating that intense rivalry has left a gap that is taking time to be filled.
By David Thiselton
