Beryl Millam on being groom to the 1981 Grand National winner Aldaniti
All great horses, like Red Rum or Desert Orchid, know they’re good and play to the crowds. Aldaniti was exceptional – he loved people, loved being made a fuss of. We all loved him, he was very special; he had something.
When he broke down at Sandown, Bob Champion had been to the Royal Marsden Hospital and been told he had cancer, which had spread. He said, “The horse is finished, I’m finished, that’s it” – and Aldaniti’s owners, the Embiricos, said, “No, we’ll take him straight home and get him right for the National.”
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This feature is also available to read in this Thursday’s H&H magazine (8 April, 2021)
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Bob Champion and Aldaniti.
Credit: Bob Champion Cancer Trust
Bob Champion will embark on a 191-mile anniversary walk from Aintree next month, 40 years since his win in the
Freelance journalist
Born in Australia and bought up in the Midlands, Kate has ridden since childhood. After completing her degree and living abroad for several years, she became an award-winning BBC radio producer and Channel 4 documentary producer after which she became a freelance journalist, contributing to the Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph and others. She also collaborated with top jumps trainer Nicky Henderson OBE, to write his best-selling memoir, Nicky Henderson: My Life in 12 Horses . She owns currently cares for retrained National Hunt racehorse, Stop the Show.
