Of the 16 fences on the Grand National Course at Aintree, just three – Becher’s Brook, Valentine’s Brook and Foinavon – bear the names of previous participants in the renowned steeplechase. The last-named is jumped as the seventh and twenty-third fence during the Grand National and, somewhat ironically, is one of the smallest on the course, measuring just 4’6″ in height.
The fence has borne the name ‘Foinavon’ since 1984, when it was officially named in honour of the 1967 Grand National winner, who took advantage of a mêlée at the obstacle on the second circuit to steal a march on his rivals. Trained by John Kempton and ridden by John Buckingham, Foinavon was saddled with the minimum weight of 10st 0lb in the Grand National, yet sent off at 100/1, despite having contested the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Cheltenham Gold Cup – albeit unsuccessfully – earlier in the 1966/67 season.
In any event, two riderless horses, Popham Down, who had been brought down at the first fence, and April Rose, who had fallen at the third, led the remaining 28 runners into the twenty-third fence, but the former refused and ran down the fence, causing mayhem. With the exception of Foinavon, all the runners fell, unseated rider, refused or were brought down, leaving Buckingham in splendid isolation at the head of affairs. The winning jockey said afterwards, “…we were just on our own. I couldn’t believe it. It was wonderful.”
Gifted a 30-length lead, Foinavon was not for catching. Many of his rivals, headed by the favourite, Honey End, trained by Ryan Price and ridden by Josh Gifford, set off in hot pursuit, but Foinavon galloped on relentlessly and, at the finish line, was still 15 lengths ahead. Buckingham, 26, who was having his first ride in the Grand National later said of his winning mount, “Three jockeys had turned him down. They asked me and I mean I’d have ridden Dick’s donkey to be in the Grand National.” Neither owner Cyril Watkins nor trainer John Kempton were at Aintree to witness their highly fortuitous victory.