An Interview with Ex-Jockey Harry Stock

Jo O'Neill
Nov 13
4 min read

It’s hard to imagine Harry Stock’s career as a jockey ended when he wasn’t far over twenty. Nowadays, Harry, 28, is a full-time chimney sweep but still dabbles in the racing industry by continuing to ride out. ‘I also do a bit of lawn mowing in the summer,’ adds Harry.

Monday through to Wednesday, Harry rides out for Martin Keighley and then goes ‘sweeping’ in that area. Towards the end of the week, Harry rides out for DJ Jeffreys near Evesham. ‘I’ve got my own horse there, so I ride him out on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday and then I do sweeps around that area on those days.’ Portraying the same work ethic and will to succeed that saw him overcome several horrible injuries as a jockey, Harry started his own business in 2020, when the country was buckled by the coronavirus pandemic.

A memorable day at Perth in August 2018 with the 'family horse' Good Tradition

Harry was brought up in the Cotswolds in Broadway and now lives in Willersey with wife Beth, nee Whittle, and their two Dachshunds, Noodle and Peanut. Beth also works for DJ Jeffreys but they met on a night out, not actually through horses.

Did you have a horsey childhood? I’ve always ridden, even before I could walk. I came through the North Cotswold Pony Club.

How did you get into racing? I was always going racing and growing up, I wanted to be a jockey and never wanted to be anything else.

What stepping stones did you use to become a jockey? As soon as I was able, I had a pony and did pony racing. As well as my own pony, I also used to ride one for someone else. I then had my own 'pointer and did two years 'pointing. I had a few rides under Rules as an amateur on the Flat and over jumps. I transitioned into a conditional from there.

What trainers did you work for? When I left school at sixteen, I moved up to work for Donald McCain. After a year and a half, I broke my back and was off for well over a year. I went back up there for just shy of a year and then came back down here to ride out for Tony Carroll and Martin Keighley. I ended up going to Martin’s full time, riding for him on the racecourse as well, for three years.

I wasn’t very old when I retired, about twenty-one or twenty-two.

How do you reflect back on the injuries? The worst injury I had was, after turning eighteen, I had a fall schooling at McCain’s, breaking my T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 and I had metal rods put in my back. From the day I had the fall to the day I had my first ride back on a racecourse was eighteen months. So, it was a long road to recovery because I had to have all the rods taken back out and heal.

Favourite racehorse: Good Tradition – he was always a bit of a dude and we’ve still got him now in the field.

Favourite racecourse: Stratford. It was local and I always had a bit of luck there.

Best days as a jockey: My best day was riding a winner at Cheltenham in a conditional race on Bobble Emerald for Martin.

We also had our own family horse, Good Tradition. I won three on him but one of the best days was when he won at Perth. My dad wasn't very well at the time and it was the last time he came to watch me. That was another really great day.

After Good Tradition's Perth win, Cheltenham-winner Bobble Emerald and Spice Girl, another winner trained by Martin Keighley

Racing hero: Growing up, I was always a massive fan of Ruby Walsh. Also, Warren Marston was another idol of mine.

How did you get into being a chimney sweep? I’d finished race riding and was just riding out for Ollie Murphy in the week. I finished at 12:00 every day so I needed to top up my wages by doing something else in the afternoons and evenings. I couldn’t think of what to do – I initially thought of becoming a window cleaner but there were loads of those around. Off the top of my head, I thought of becoming a chimney sweep. I’d had my own chimney swept the week before so I thought it’d be a good thing to get into. I thought I could still ride out and book the sweeps in for afterwards.

After searching about how to get into it, I went to JETS (Jockeys Educational Training Scheme) who put me on the course. With JETS’ funding the eighty per cent, it made the £1600 course affordable. I wouldn’t have taken the risk doing it otherwise but it only cost me £300 in the end, so I thought it was worth having a go.

How it started in 2020...

How is the sweeping going? It’s my fifth year and it’s just got busier and busier. I actually do enjoy it. I’m not one of these who can sit still so I enjoy being on the road, seeing different houses, meeting different people and going back to houses year after year. I also still have my riding out so still get to socialise then. It works out really well.

Also, I still get to ride out with my racing idol Warren Marston.

Hopes and dreams for the future: I’d like to get to the stage that the sweeping is more spread out throughout the year – it’s seasonal and I’m busy at this time of the year but it slows up in the summer. Year on year, I’m getting more and more sweeps increasingly over more months. I hope it just continues to get bigger and bigger, and I keep on being busy.