3/9/1988
Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse
Grundy’s Own
Result
Finished 1st / 5 run
28/4/1989
Sedgefield Racecourse
Pallavacina
Result
Finished 2nd / 14 run
12/5/1989
Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse
Lucy Lastic
Result
Finished 8th / 17 run
Lawnswood Miss I led her up 5 times 4x unplaced and 1x pulled up
2x Cheltenham UNPL
2x Newbury UNPL and PU
1x Liverpool UNPL
The only season I looked after her she was riddled with a virus as were most of The Duke’s horses… besides, Lawnswood Miss was not well handicapped.
The photo is from Liverpool which was her last race, after which she was sent to Lord Northampton’s Stud and got in foal by Broadsword
Lawnswood Miss was a lovely mare to look after and I used to ride her at exercise all the time… she was a little bit funny when I got legged up on her in a morning when she would always put her back up as if she was going to buck but she never did and after about 20 seconds she would settle down again… The Duke would always shout at me “Stand up in the irons, Stand up in the irons…”
Lawnswood Miss stable was near the front gate at Cotswold House, just to the right of the stone steps that went up to the tack room.
She was good to look after and good to lead up… she had a white star on the front of her face and I loved her.
5/5/1986
Warwick Racecourse
Annie Ra
Unplaced
Richard Bevan National Hunt Rides 1987/88
50 rides… Average Starting Price Odds 20.6 to 1
Completed 42 = 84%
Owners Prize Money (1st Place Only) £7379.10
19 rides in the first 4 places = 38%
4x 1st 8% winners
4x 2nd 8% placed second
6x 3rd 12% placed third
5x 4th 10% placed fourth
fell 2 = 4% / ur 1 = 2% / bd 2 = 4% / co 0 = 0% / ro 0 = 0% / pu 2 = 4% / su 1 = 2%
14/8/1987
Devon & Exeter Racecourse
Fic Vic
Finished 4th / 8 ran
2/10/1987
Hereford Racecourse
Jay’Ay’Dee
Finished 5th / 16 ran
Result
8/10/1987
Cheltenham Racecourse
Jay’Ay’Dee
(4, 5 & 6YO)
BD/28 ran
Result
14/10/1987
Wetherby Racecourse
Don’t Telmag
Finished 22nd / 25 ran
Result
16/10/1987
Market Rasen Racecourse
Eric’s Wish
FELL / 12 ran
Result
26/10/1987
Fakenham Racecourse
Eric’s Wish
Finished 7th / 15 ran
Result
27/10/1987
Plumpton Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 8th / 19 ran
Result
6/11/1987
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Crowecopper
Finished 5th / 9 ran
Result
7/11/1987
Warwick Racecourse
Aphrodisiac
Finished 17 / 24 ran
Result
9/11/1987
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 4th / 19 ran
Result
23/11/1987
Windsor Racecourse
Crowecopper
Finished 1st / 4 ran
Result
Video – Crowecopper winning at Windsor
Salt Hill Handicap Chase
1 Crowecopper R Bevan
2 Dart Over P Richards
3 Memberson B Powell Snr
F Lanacre Bridge Peter Hobbs
24/11/1987
Southwell Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 5th / 15 ran
Result
28/11/1987
Towcester Racecourse
Crowecopper
Finished 4th / 7 ran
Result
4/12/1987
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Pialuci
Finished 12th / 17 ran
Result
7/12/1987
Worcester Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 5th / 16 ran
Result
19/12/1987
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 6th / 11 ran
Result
26/12/1987
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 4th / 9 ran
Result
26/12/1987
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Baluchi
Finished 3rd / 7 ran
Result
16/1/1988
Market Rasen Racecourse
Thumps
Finished 9th / 22 ran
Result
20/1/1988
Ludlow Racecourse
Crowecopper
Finished 2nd / 13 ran
Result
Video – Crowecopper 2nd at Ludlow
Richards Castle Handicap Chase
1 Kelly’s Boy A Adams
2 Crowecopper R Bevan
3 Pea-Cock-Ade A O’Hagan
4 Holemoor Patrol Peter Hobbs
5 Deep And Even Peter Scudamore
6 Broad Beam J Bryan
7 Stoney Creek P Croucher
8 Megabit K Traylor
PU Kyle Prince R J Beggan
PU Word Of Wisdom R Bellamy
PU Fifth Column B Dowling
PU Juvenile Prince E Buckley
UR Bryma D Tegg
29/1/1988
Ayr Racecourse
Baluchi
Finished 3rd / 3 ran
Result
16/2/1988
Towcester Racecourse
Rimfire
Finished 3rd / 6 ran
Result
17/2/1988
Worcester Racecourse
Thumps
Finished 13th / 18 ran
Result
19/2/1988
Edinburgh Racecourse
Annie Ra
UR / 14 ran
Result
19/2/1988
Edinburgh Racecourse
Crowecopper
SU / 7 ran
Result
19/2/1988
Edinburgh Racecourse
Mitilini
Finished 8th / 17 ran
Result
19/2/1988
Edinburgh Racecourse
Jay’Ay’Dee
Finished 13th / 14 ran
Result
2/3/1988
Worcester Racecourse
Crowecopper
Finished 3rd / 16 ran
Result
2/3/1988 I rode Crowecopper 11/2 in the Mark Five Amateur Riders Handicap Chase at Worcester Racecourse and we Finished 3rd / 16 ran. Henderson’s horse Cumrew ridden by Jamie Railton (the favourite) made the running until it fell 3 from home leaving Crowecopper and myself in front which wasn’t an ideal situation for my horse (as he would think he’d already won)… however, at this point we had to make the best of our way home. Crowecopper jumped the next well but on the run to the last a couple of the others (both big odds) came past us and we finished 3rd, beating Kim Bailey’s runner a short head into 4th place.
2/3/1988
Worcester Racecourse
Ruby’s Vision
Finished 20th / 25 ran
Result
2/3/1988 I rode Ruby’s Vision 50/1 in the Hoechst Panacur EBF Mares Only Novices Hurdle Qualifier at Worcester Racecourse. Finished 20th / 25 ran.
Ruby’s Vision was quite well bred and was a half sister to St Alezan who finished 2nd in a Mackeson Gold Cup unfortunately Ruby’s Vision was not a racehorse but she did breed a couple of winners. Owners came from Whitchurch.
9/3/1988
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Wood Farm Girl
Finished 2nd / 12 ran
Result
I rode Wood Farm Girl
10/3/1988
Stratford Racecourse
Baluchi
Finished 4th / 13 ran
Result
25/3/1988
Ludlow Racecourse
Baluchi
Finished 1st / 9 ran
Result
Baluchi winning at Ludlow Racecourse
Aston Handicap Chase
1 Baluchi R Bevan
2 Outlaw I T Morgan
3 Pan Arctic C Kellett
4 Broad Beam J Bryan
5 Fare Love P Warner
6 Dundalk Bells N Hawke
7 Itsgottabealright Carl Llewellyn
0 Nudge Nudge I M Williams
0 Steel Venture W Hayes
28/3/1988
Hereford Racecourse
Annie Ra
Finished 7th / 14 ran
Result
4/4/1988
Market Rasen Racecourse
Baluchi
Finished 1st / 6 ran
Result
Baluchi winning at Market Rasen Racecourse
Easter Handicap Chase
1 Baluchi R Bevan
2 Wild Argosy N Fearn
3 Wise Cracker I Peter Niven
4 Fair Babu S Turner
5 Kevinsfort J Hayes
PU Keycorn M Brennan
9/4/1988
Hereford Racecourse
Rimfire
Finished 2nd / 12 ran
Result
13/4/1988
Perth Racecourse
Baluchi
Finished 1st / 6 ran
I won three races out of seven riding Baluchi
… Ludlow, Market Rasen and this race at Perth
I remember the first time we won at Ludlow, as I was being legged up on Baluchi, the trainer says to me “If you don’t win, don’t come f?cking back!”
“That’s nice” I thought
We’d won 3 races on the bounce together then he ran in the Holman Cup at Cheltenham and I was jocked off… Baluchi pulled up
7 rides on Baluchi all over fences
3x 1st
1x 2nd
2x 3rd
1x 4th
Video – Baluchi winning at Perth Racecourse
Baluchi ridden by Richard Bevan winning the Duncrievie Handicap Chase at Perth Racecourse April 1988
1 Baluchi R Bevan
2 Tactico M Hammond
3 Queens Palace Dai Burchell
4 Wise Cracker Peter Niven
5 Music Be Magic C Grant
PU Tumble Jim S Cunningham
14/4/1988
Perth Racecourse
Soldier of Destiny
Finished 7th / 17 ran
Result
15/4/1988
Warwick Racecourse
Ruby’s Vision
PU / 18 ran
Result
23/4/1988
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Crowecopper
Finished 2nd / 16 ran
Result
28/4/1988
Hereford Racecourse
Infinite Star
Finished 14th / 16 ran
Result
28/4/1988
Hereford Racecourse
Rimfire
Finished 3rd / 6 ran
Result
Ludlow Racecourse
Rimfire
Finished 3rd / 6 ran
Result
Uttoxeter Racecourse
Kimacero
Finished 7th / 12 ran
Result
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Dance of Life
Finished 7th / 16 ran
Result
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Right Formula
PU / 16 ran
Result
Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse
Flyback
FELL / 15 ran
Result
I was concussed in this fall
24/5/1988
Ludlow Racecourse
Walmer Sands
Finished 11th / 13 ran
Result
25/5/1988
Cartmel Racecourse
Dance of Life
Finished 6th / 8 ran
Result
25/5/1988
Cartmel Racecourse
Lance of St George
Finished 6th / 15 ran
Result
28/5/1988
Cartmel Racecourse
Lottie Limejuice
BD / 11 ran
Result
I was concussed in this fall
Jungle Jim on the right in the photo carrying the orange/white/black colours of Salford Van Hire… being led back in from the course after the race
The school Christmas holidays of 1983 were particularly memorable for me. I had planned a unique experience at “The Duke’s” (David Nicholson), aiming for a week of “work experience” just before the festive break. Excitement filled the air as I had everything arranged; however, there was a catch – I hadn’t informed my school.
In August of the same year, I already had a week-long stint at Nicholson’s, which had gone smoothly. This time, I prepared to ask my school for the last two days off to head down to Cotswold House Racing Stables. My mum wrote a letter, stating that I would not attend school for the last two days of term so I could gain some hands-on experience at The Duke’s racing stables. The setup felt promising, but I was met with reluctance from my educators.
Upon approaching Mr. Burrows, my excitement waned as he expressed his dismay. Schools had regulations for work experience, and the acquaintance I had built didn’t seem to matter. The situation escalated to Mr. Mills, who was known for his firm demeanour. After some phone calls to my mum and The Duke, my plan gradually materialized. They agreed I could leave school early, under the condition that a report be filled out by Nicholson for my return to school.
Ultimately, this adventure taught me an important lesson: sometimes, keeping things to yourself can ensure smoother sailing. I headed to The Duke’s for the Christmas holiday, and my experience was marked by the simplicity of enjoyment, capped by a report reading just one word – “Good”. Reflecting on those days, I realise how critical it is to navigate the balance between enthusiasm and communication.
The Coach and Horses Pub in Longborough were my digs while I was on work experience and I shared a room with Mark Pitman
