Badsworth Boy – Legendary Three Time Winner of the Champion Chase
Badsworth Boy ranks as one of the most exceptional two-mile chasers the sport has known, forever enshrined as the only horse to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase three consecutive times at Cheltenham, from 1983 to 1985.
His career narrative isn’t just about winning; it’s also about resilience and brilliance in the face of adversity, with every chapter adding a new layer to his legend.
The Making of a Champion
Badsworth Boy started his racing journey as a flat racer before switching codes to become a jumper.
Sold as a yearling for a modest sum, he ran eight times as a two-year-old on the flat, winning minor races before being purchased by Doug Armitage and undergoing the gelding operation that would set him on a path to National Hunt greatness.
He adapted quickly, making headlines early on as a hurdler and then over fences, winning races despite speed combined with sometimes risky jumping.
Throughout his long career, he racked up 18 chase victories and 8 hurdle wins, a tally made even more incredible by his lifelong battles with navicular disease and arthritis.
Yet, his class was undeniable, and his partnership with the Dickinson family – Tony, Michael, and Monica, all taking turns as his trainer, became central to his story.
The 1983 Queen Mother Champion Chase
The first of Badsworth Boy’s Cheltenham hat-trick came in 1983. Trained by Michael Dickinson and ridden by Robert Earnshaw, he arrived as an up-and-coming force.
The race itself turned into one of the most dominant performances the Champion Chase has ever witnessed.
Facing rivals including the favourite Rathgorman, Badsworth Boy simply outclassed the lot, surging home by a huge margin, with the previously celebrated Artifice and Rathgorman left well behind.
1984: Commanding the Division Again
A year later, Badsworth Boy returned to Cheltenham, now the established star and a heavy favourite.
The pressure was on as every rival assessed how to challenge him, but, in truth, the contest was never in doubt.
He cruised to another impressive victory, putting ten lengths between himself and Little Bay, while perennial opponent Artifice was even further behind in third.
His electrifying jumping and cruising speed thrilled the crowds and confirmed that Badsworth Boy was in a league of his own.
It was Michael Dickinson’s second Champion Chase win as a trainer with the horse, solidifying their place as a force in northern jump racing.
The 1985 Champion Chase: Completing the Hat-Trick
The third triumph in 1985 brought new challenges. By then, Michael Dickinson had switched to train on the Flat, so the license passed to his mother, Monica Dickinson, making Badsworth Boy’s final Champion Chase win a true family affair.
This time, the horse came into Cheltenham with his preparations hindered by physical setbacks.
Arthritis and muscular issues had limited his appearances, and some doubted if he could maintain his grip atop the two-mile chasing world.
The betting reflected this: Badsworth Boy started at longer odds than the Irish star Bobsline, who was odds-on to win. Yet, fate would intervene.
Bobsline was going strongly but crashed out at the third last, leaving Badsworth Boy to gallop clear and win by ten lengths from Far Bridge, sealing his third consecutive win.
It was a testament not only to his talent but also to the Dickinsons’ remarkable training feat in getting him to the race in competitive shape.
Beyond Cheltenham
Badsworth Boy was not just a Cheltenham specialist; he drew loyal crowds across classic northern jumping venues like Wetherby, Haydock, and Ayr, acquiring a passionate following wherever he ran.
Known for his powerful engine and almost reckless exuberance at his fences, he was seldom out of the headlines, falling or unseating occasionally, but winning far more often than not.
Across his career, he completed 17 out of his first 18 chase starts with victories, a consistency almost unheard of for a horse swinging over stiff fences at such speed.
Russell Earnshaw, his regular jockey, declared him the best he ever rode.
He banked more than £100,000 in his career, an impressive figure for the era, and stood as a symbol for all that’s thrilling about two-mile chasers: speed, courage, and a dash of unpredictability.
Setting a Bar No One Has Matched
Decades on, Badsworth Boy’s feat of three Queen Mother Champion Chase victories remains unequalled.
Only a handful of horses have even won the race twice. His achievements have stood the test of time, not just for the records but for the daring, dazzling style in which they were claimed.
In an era before big sponsorships and social media toppled the sport’s traditions, Badsworth Boy set a bar that no champion since has managed to reach.
Even as arthritis eventually slowed him, Badsworth Boy graced racegoers with further victories after his historic hat-trick, bowing out with one final win in January 1987.
He lived into his late twenties and remains a touchstone for discussions about jump racing greatness, both for his brilliance on the track and the way he inspired those around him, be it the Dickinson family or his loyal owner.
His story endures as the ultimate proof that resilience, talent, and tenacity can sometimes come together in one remarkable racehorse, ensuring that Badsworth Boy’s name will echo through Cheltenham’s grandstands for as long as great jumpers are celebrated.
