Piggott, Lester (1935-2022), was one of the United Kingdom’s most successful jockeys. He was champion jockey in England 11 times—in 1960, in every year from 1964 until 1971, and again in 1981 and 1982. The champion jockey is the jockey who wins the most races in a season. Piggott won 30 British Classic races. He won the Epsom Derby 9 times, the St. Leger Stakes 8 times, the Oaks 6 times, the 2,000 Guineas 5 times, and the 1,000 Guineas twice. He won the Ascot Gold Cup 11 times. Piggott also won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s richest race, 3 times.
Lester Keith Piggott was born on Nov. 5, 1935, in Wantage, Oxfordshire, England. He was a jockey from 1948 to 1985 and again from 1990 to 1995. In 1987, Piggott was jailed for evasion of income tax. He was released on parole in 1988 after having spent a year in prison. Piggott died on May 29, 2022.
