There will never be another like him. He was the horse we'd all been waiting for. He ran over 10 times a season and from min to max trips. Rummy is in my blood but Dessie is in my heart,
Dessie got me through a lot as a child, he was one in a million he was so magnificent the best racehorse ever in Britain. I collected all the news paper clippings about him. He was always on the front page. I broke my heart when I seen he passed away, at least his owner’s loved and took really good care of him. ❤️🐎🌈
My earliest memory of anything is watching Dessie- his grey coat and flowing white hair with the iconic colours of his jockey is locked in my memory forever. I hope he is resting in peace in the pastures of heaven
Brilliant, thanks for posting. My biggest regret is I slept in and didn't get to see him parade at Mark Johnstone's yard in Yorkshire in the autumn of 2002. Being a Kiwi, and with no internet in those days, I'd only ever read and heard about his exploits. I imagine for those lucky enough to be at Cheltenham it must have been a moment of a lifetime.
Met him when I was little in a very special one to one in his stable as my dad was at the stables meeting Barnbrook Again and I pointed at Dessie and asked if I could feed that horse! They said I could 😍. I then had another encounter with him many years later when coincidentally he was in the lorry parked next to mine at Windsor Horse show. He was my favourite racehorse ❤❤
A long career, a big fan base... a wonderful, mature athlete. Most thoroughbreds don’t get the chance to develop as steadily and to stay sane, healthy, and fit for so long. A pleasure to watch, to imagine, to savor. Favorite moment: 42:41. WOW. - Strong and competitive above and beyond. Big and bold.
Thanks so much for this gem.......as an expat who worked with horses in Australia and North America and was mad about jumps racing as a kid in Cheshire this is just magical.
A true superstar!!! Something about a grey horse, and also a horse attacking from the front, in Dessie the world had both. He wasn’t just a horse, he was a sporting legend of his time. When people talk of the best sports persons in the world during the 80’s and 90’s, Dessie is in the same bracket as Maradonna, Senna etc.
As a teenager learning to ride I was lucky enough to learn on a huge white horse called Oscar,,, he was Desert Orchid cousin and was half thoroughbred and half heavy horse of the shire kind,, Oscar was a monster of a horse and like something out of a film or a lead fearless war stead,, they would use him every year for the Coventry Godiva festival... he was fast and loved jumping a fantastic cross country companion..
So brave this beautiful Gray horse was he attacked ever fence and give weight to good horses and beat them carrying 12 stone in the irish grand national and ran away with it giving panto prince nearly 2 stone in weight and beat him unbelievable horse RIP desert orchid horse of a life time
He did not need a gold cup to be great. Carrying big weights in handicaps is what made horses great. Arkle, Denman, Desert Orchid all won handicaps with hugh weights..Dessie is great because he won handicaps at 2 miles or 3 miles 5 furlongs. Hard to great these days in grade 1 level weiights
Desert orchid was the last horse in steeplechasing that can from nothing to a champion..now days..it's all about the money..it's all over..another chapter of England destroying their culture.
@@stephenburke5967easy top ten because giving good horses 2 stone in weight and beating them over 2 miles carrying 12 stone to a Irish grand national victory 4 king Georges won a gold cup on a track and ground he hated I say only ankle and kauto star is in the same league
He was the GREATEST OF ALL TIME! Sorry Paul Nicholls who I like and respect, but Kauto was never like this. Best Mate was sensational but not as versatile
How could you not love Dessie. What a horse.
There will never be another like him. He was the horse we'd all been waiting for. He ran over 10 times a season and from min to max trips.
Rummy is in my blood but Dessie is in my heart,
Dessie got me through a lot as a child, he was one in a million he was so magnificent the best racehorse ever in Britain. I collected all the news paper clippings about him. He was always on the front page. I broke my heart when I seen he passed away, at least his owner’s loved and took really good care of him. ❤️🐎🌈
I love the people who took care of him.
My earliest memory of anything is watching Dessie- his grey coat and flowing white hair with the iconic colours of his jockey is locked in my memory forever. I hope he is resting in peace in the pastures of heaven
Brilliant, thanks for posting. My biggest regret is I slept in and didn't get to see him parade at Mark Johnstone's yard in Yorkshire in the autumn of 2002. Being a Kiwi, and with no internet in those days, I'd only ever read and heard about his exploits. I imagine for those lucky enough to be at Cheltenham it must have been a moment of a lifetime.
Met him when I was little in a very special one to one in his stable as my dad was at the stables meeting Barnbrook Again and I pointed at Dessie and asked if I could feed that horse! They said I could 😍. I then had another encounter with him many years later when coincidentally he was in the lorry parked next to mine at Windsor Horse show. He was my favourite racehorse ❤❤
Wonderful insight into the life of a legend - shame it wasn't longer !!!
A long career, a big fan base... a wonderful, mature athlete. Most thoroughbreds don’t get the chance to develop as steadily and to stay sane, healthy, and fit for so long. A pleasure to watch, to imagine, to savor. Favorite moment: 42:41. WOW. - Strong and competitive above and beyond. Big and bold.
Never be another grey diamond like Dessie thank you for knowing the grey superstar of jump racing never be forgotten.
Thanks so much for this gem.......as an expat who worked with horses in Australia and North America and was mad about jumps racing as a kid in Cheshire this is just magical.
One of the greatest weight carriers of all time
Loved hearing the stories from my granddad
I have not seen this for years! Thank you so much for uploading it. :)
I highly recommend Richard Burridge's book The True Story of Desert Orchid.
Do you mean 'The Grey Horse'?
@@karenblackadder1183 Yes, that's part of the title! It's by my bedside. I'm switching between reading and watching the races again.
A true superstar!!! Something about a grey horse, and also a horse attacking from the front, in Dessie the world had both. He wasn’t just a horse, he was a sporting legend of his time. When people talk of the best sports persons in the world during the 80’s and 90’s, Dessie is in the same bracket as Maradonna, Senna etc.
This is the famous British steeplechase horse for which Clare P was an exercise rider. She told me she is in the documentary; this should be it.
I adored Arkle but loved Dessie
As a teenager learning to ride I was lucky enough to learn on a huge white horse called Oscar,,, he was Desert Orchid cousin and was half thoroughbred and half heavy horse of the shire kind,, Oscar was a monster of a horse and like something out of a film or a lead fearless war stead,, they would use him every year for the Coventry Godiva festival... he was fast and loved jumping a fantastic cross country companion..
Clare Pears lives in San Francisco now....I just sent her this video
I bet dessie on his first cup win,I think it was 100/8
Had the great honor of meeting Dessie I stourport his grooms said he’d never been a dad. Desert never aired. What’s that about
So brave this beautiful Gray horse was he attacked ever fence and give weight to good horses and beat them carrying 12 stone in the irish grand national and ran away with it giving panto prince nearly 2 stone in weight and beat him unbelievable horse RIP desert orchid horse of a life time
Made me sad watching him leave Yorkshire.. He clearly didnt want to
An absolute legend of a horse, just brilliant year after year,
The music in the programme was dire,
It should have been uplifting not sallow.
He did not need a gold cup to be great.
Carrying big weights in handicaps is what made horses great.
Arkle, Denman, Desert Orchid all won handicaps with hugh weights..Dessie is great because he won handicaps at 2 miles or 3 miles 5 furlongs.
Hard to great these days in grade 1 level weiights
Desert orchid was the last horse in steeplechasing that can from nothing to a champion..now days..it's all about the money..it's all over..another chapter of England destroying their culture.
A very good handicapper.
Very good, just as Usain Bolt was a very good sprinter
@@mizofan Where would he fit in as an time great over 3 miles.Would he be in the top 10 or maybe top 20??
@@stephenburke5967 surely top 10, comfortably
one of the greatest chasers of all time
@@stephenburke5967easy top ten because giving good horses 2 stone in weight and beating them over 2 miles carrying 12 stone to a Irish grand national victory 4 king Georges won a gold cup on a track and ground he hated I say only ankle and kauto star is in the same league
He was the GREATEST OF ALL TIME! Sorry Paul Nicholls who I like and respect, but Kauto was never like this. Best Mate was sensational but not as versatile