The late Terence ‘Terry’ Biddlecombe died, at the age of 72, on January 5, 2014 after a long illness, having suffered a stroke three years earlier. In his latter years, he was best known as one half of an ‘odd couple’ with his wife, Henrietta Knight, alongside whom he enjoyed several notable successes, not least Best Mate, who, in 2004, became the first horse since the legendary Arkle to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running.
However, it should not be forgotten that, despite fighting a lifelong battle with the scales, and with alcoholism, Biddlecombe rode a total of 908 winners and won the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship three times, in 1964/65, 1965/66 and 1968/69, on the latter occasion sharing the title with his future brother-in-law Bob Davies. Born in Gloucester on February 2, 1941, the ‘Blonde Bomber’, as he was affectionately known, rode his first winner, Burnella, in a novices’ hurdle at Wincanton on March 6, 1958.
Biddlecombe enjoyed his highest-profile success on Woodland Venture in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1967, by which time he had become stable jockey to eventual five-time Champion Trainer Fred Rimell and his wife, Mercy. He never won the Grand National, but may have done so on another horse saddled by Rimmell, former winner Gay Trip – on whom he already won the Mackeson Gold Cup twice, in 1969 and 1971 – in 1972, had he not chosen to steer a wide course, in search of better going. As it was, the partnership finished second, beaten just two lengths, behind the winner, Well To Do.
Biddlecombe did, however, win the Welsh Grand National twice, on Norther in 1965 and French Excuse in 1970. Woodland Venture aside, his other Cheltenham Festival successes included Chatham in the Arkle Trophy and Coral Diver in the Triumph Hurdle, both in 1969.
