9 0 4 ▁– ▁ 1 0 ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 6 ) ▁was ▁an ▁English ▁j ockey . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁British ▁flat ▁racing ▁Champion ▁J ockey ▁ 2 6 ▁times ▁and ▁is ▁often ▁considered ▁the ▁world ' s ▁greatest ▁ever ▁j ockey . ▁He ▁remains ▁the ▁only ▁flat ▁j ockey ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁kn ight ed . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Gordon ▁Rich ards ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁the ▁Sh ro pshire ▁village ▁of ▁Don ning ton ▁Wood ▁( now ▁part ▁of ▁T elf ord ), ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁Sh ro pshire ▁coal ▁min er . ▁His ▁father ▁re ared ▁several ▁pit ▁pon ies ▁at ▁their ▁home , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁this ▁environment ▁that ▁Sir ▁Gordon ▁fost ered ▁his ▁love ▁of ▁the ▁e quest rian . ▁He ▁rode ▁the ▁pon ies ▁bare back ▁from ▁an ▁early ▁age , ▁then ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁seven , ▁drove ▁the ▁p ony ▁and ▁trap ▁passenger ▁service ▁his ▁family ▁ran ▁between ▁W rock ward ine ▁Wood ▁and ▁Oak eng ates ▁station . ▁It ▁was ▁at ▁that ▁age ▁no ▁doubt ▁that ▁he ▁developed ▁his ▁unique ▁r iding ▁style , ▁using ▁a ▁long ▁rein ▁and ▁an ▁u pr ight ▁st ance . ▁He ▁had ▁two ▁brothers , ▁Col in ▁and ▁Cl iff ord , ▁who ▁shared ▁this ▁love ▁of ▁horses ▁and ▁also ▁became ▁j ock e ys : ▁the ▁latter ▁was ▁a ▁Classic ▁winning ▁j ockey . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁After ▁leaving ▁school ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁first ▁step ▁towards ▁becoming ▁a ▁j ockey ,