An iconic jockey has died at the age of 71, with his family by his side while in Thailand – with tributes pouring in
Iconic jockey Tony Ives, 71, has died in Thailand with his family by his side. Ives had more than 2,000 wins across a 25-year career.
Ives, who remains the last apprentice to place in the Derby, was a stable jockey for Bill O’Gorman – who was famed for his ‘amazing flying two-year-olds’. His biggest win came at the Arlington Million race in Chicago, US.
He had kicked in the head by a horse earlier in the week, but still saddled up Teleprompter and won the prestigious event on the international calendar that has also been won by the likes of Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden and Charlie Appleby.
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Ives was forced to retire in 1996 after his final victory at Lingfield – after suffering from back problems while racing.
He frequently rode in Hong Kong and Macau in the 1990s, and in his retirement he would move to Thailand with his with his second wife Jiraporn.
He leaves behind three children from his first marriage, and three children from his marriage to his first wife.
Tributes have started to pour in for the icon, Lisa Hancock, chief executive of the Injured Jockeys Fund, said: “We’re all deeply saddened to hear of Tony’s death.
“We have been supporting Tony’s family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. Tony was able to spend his final days at home with his family.”
Ives’s former colleague Philip Robinson said: “It’s a sad day as Tony was one of my best pals in the weighing room back in the day and we used to travel to the races quite a bit.
“He went to Hong Kong at the same time as me and I think he was runner-up in the jockeys’ championship there one year. I sometimes used to bump into him when I was out in Macau.”