Legendary jockey Lester Piggott has died aged 86

His career spanned over 50 years and he won The Derby nine times

Author: Lucy RobertsPublished 29th May 2022
Last updated 29th May 2022

Lester Piggott, known as Britain's most famous rider, has died at the age of 86, his son-in-law has announced.

The jockey who had rode nearly four and a half thousand winners had been in hospital in Switzerland before his death.

The Berkshire-born rider won the Epson Derby nine times during his career and he was crowned champion jockey 11 times between 1960 and 1982.

Piggott rode his first winner at just 12 years old and he got his initial Derby win six years later on Never Say Die in 1954.

He retired from the sport in 1995 and in 2007 he was rushed to intensive care due to a heart problem but he made a speedy recovery.

Although he lived in near Newmarket in Suffolk for most of his life, he emigrated to Switzerland in his retirement

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