Search
where the horse is always the hero
Article Item
Posted 2018-03-14 17:45:43  
Racing Legend Buckham Passes

Colin Buckham, handicapper, long-time racecourse judge and avid golfer, succumbed to a long battle with cancer on Tuesday at the age of 78.
Buckham was a legend in racing, and one of the true characters of a sport that was his all-consuming passion and if he wasn’t talking racing it was golf.
Colin started his working career as a bank clerk before becoming an assistant handicapper at the then Durban Turf Club (DTC) at Greyville Racecourse under Gerald Lee. He had a strong racing pedigree as both his father and grandfather were trainers. His father Jimmy started out as a jockey and was ignominiously dumped at the start of his one and only ride in the July when he got caught up in the starting tapes.
His cousin Cyril Buckham, later head riding master at the South African Jockey Academy, was the first South African jockey to win 100 races in a season and won two Julys with Monesteraven in 1948 and later Spey Bridge in 1956.
Buckham recalled, “I’ve been racing since 1954. When I was 10-years-old I used to sit in my father’s car next to the track and watch the races. Children were not allowed on course in those days.”
Later, Buckham joined Harvey Topham and Warren Eisele in the judge’s box; 1975 to be exact. Colin was still assistant handicapper at the DTC and having to watch every race as a judge was of great benefit when it came to handicapping as in those days there was no Tellytrack or YouTube to watch replays.
After spending 40 years in the Judges Box at the three KwaZulu-Natal race courses, Buckham and Eisele were pushed into retirement at the end of July 2015, both over 65. The two were the longest serving judges in the history of South African racing.
When Gerald Lee retired, Buckham became chief handicapper for the DTC before all handicapping was put under the umbrella of the National Horseracing Authority where he worked until retirement.
He recalled a time when he was assistant handicapper. “There was a race called the Sires Produce Stakes, restricted to two-year-olds who had been sired by stallions that had won over 1900m or more. There were not enough acceptors and it was decided to scrap the race. (Trainer) John Breval had a horse in the race called Free Style who later ran second and third in the Gold Cup. I was looking out of the window the next day when a big car pulled up outside the offices and Bridget Oppenheimer got out. I knew what was coming and like a good coward ducked out of the office leaving Lee to take the ear-bashing while I chuckled, listening from around the corner.”
Buckham had a reputation of being absolutely meticulous and there were no mistakes in the judges box, but he did have his moments as a handicapper. “There were times that I was not very proud off. Once I was forced to re-do the July weights after threats of being taken to court. I was ready to hand in my resignation but three stewards, also members of the Jockey Club, stood by me and said that under no circumstances was I to resign and it would never happen again.”
“There was also a time when we had too many horses entered for a feature race and I had to eliminate. Instead of working through the form I put all the names of the horses on the borderline into a hat and drew a winner. I was then taken to court by one of the owners and the judge ruled against me. I had the last laugh though. Their horse never won another race.”
Colin is survived by his wife Annabel and daughters Leigh-Ann and Anthea. There will be no memorial service but a small gathering of family and close friends at his house at noon tomorrow.
By Andrew Harrison Gold Circle

Rate:
Email link to a friend | Printable Version
  • South Africa
    Displaying 10 ResultsSee All
    fundi sithebe heads 4racing tv into high definition20 hours ago

    4Racing is proud to announce an exciting enhancement to our TV product: Africa’s dedicated hor...

    View | Add Comment
    hassen adams passes1 days ago

    It was with saddeness that Rayaan Adams announced that his father Hassen Adams has passed away. The...

    View | Add Comment
    sandie khathi interim suspension 3 days ago

    INTERIM SUSPENSION ON JOCKEY SANDILE KHATHI     The National Horseracing Authority conf...

    View | Add Comment
    breakthrough as direct imports to europe approved 4 days ago

    SAEHP, collaborating with the South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Develop...

    View | Add Comment
    markus jooste dead 7 days ago

    Markus Jooste's life tragically came to an end as he took his own life in the wake of a damning repo...

    View | Add Comment
    rodney dunn, a racing man like few others 2024-03-21

    Racing in the Western Cape mourns the loss of Rodney Dunn, a stalwart figure in both administration ...

    View | Add Comment
    bo and his single arrow - one horse trainer wins2024-03-19

    Sboniso ‘Bo’ Ngcobo made waves at Scottsville on Sunday when his sole horse in training,...

    View | Add Comment
    aiden o'brien splits with long time rider2024-03-16

    A significant development has occurred in the world of horse racing as Aidan O’Brien and his l...

    View | Add Comment
    richard fourie: 218 and counting2024-03-16

    Richard Fourie has hit home 218 winners after today's Kenilworth meeting in the quest to beat Anthon...

    View | Add Comment
    jockey, trainer in charge disagree with dead heat post race comments2024-03-16

    Miss Argonaut won an excellent race for Peter Muscutt and owner Jason Muragasa at Kenilworth on Satu...

    View | Add Comment