At the age of 82, John Spearing, the second-longest-tenured trainer in the country and a successful Welsh Grand National trainer, passed away. After winning the 2007 Sky Bet Chase and Racing Post Chase with Simon, Andrew Thornton paid tribute to the late trainer.
Run And Skip, who finished fourth in the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup after clearing the second-last with Dawn Run, was the horse Spearing is most known for training.
The Welsh Grand National was won in 1985 by Run And Skip. Spearing also trained notable winners on the flat, such as Fast Lad, Croeso Croeso, and Pintle.
Both the horses Spearing trained and Kinnersley, who became famous thanks to Fred Rimell, were related to Spearing’s wife. Thornton spoke with Spearing about his relationships, particularly his productive alliance with Simon.
Thornton complimented Spearing for being a knowledgeable horseman who trained horses for both short and long distances. Despite suffering serious injuries in an accident five years prior, Spearing is still riding in his 70s.
In addition to thanking Spearing for their recent catch-up, Thornton commended Spearing as an excellent dual-purpose trainer who helped him achieve his 1,000th triumph.
With pleasant memories of their successful collaboration, Thornton praised Spearing’s talents to train horses regardless of the distance of the race.
John Spearing’s cause of death
What happened to the legendary horse trainer? Teresa Spearing, his daughter, revealed that John Spearing, a well-known horse trainer, died at the age of 82 following a protracted illness. She said that in 2021, her father received a lung cancer diagnosis.