Everybody loved Desert Orchid.  By far the most popular racehorse in decades over both codes, Dessie, as he was affectionately known, passed on peacefully on November 13th. 2006 at the grand old age of 27 .

                      His extraordinary career hardly began auspiciously when, totally unfancied, he took a heavy fall in an uncompetitive hurdle race at Kempton Park, his supporters fearing the worst as he lay prone for some considerable time. Luckily, he eventually got to his feet and never looked back from that moment, becoming a top class hurdler in the process.

                     Desert Orchid Orchid mixed hurdling and chasing for a while, before concentrating entirely on chasing, winning at distances ranging from 2 miles to 3 miles 5 furlongs, all in top class company, winning amongst other things, a Cheltenham Gold Cup, three King George's and an Irish Grand National. Above all, it was his boundless enthusiasm that most endeared him to the public, running all his races from the front carrying massive weights, usually leaving his opponents strung out all over the countryside.

                     The two black and white Desert Orchid pictures in my collection really epitomised the lovable old grey. The Agfa Chase at his beloved Sandown in 1991 was to be his last ever victory, again leading from start to finish, and I managed to get them, one on each circuit, while standing by the water jump. He was 12 years old, and was retired later on that year after a heavy fall when attempting to win his fourth King George at Kempton Park.