▁becoming ▁a ▁stable ▁boy ▁aged ▁ 1 5 ▁at ▁Fox ▁Hol lies ▁St able ▁in ▁W ilt shire , ▁owned ▁by ▁Jimmy ▁White . ▁ ▁It ▁wasn ' t ▁long ▁before ▁his ▁r iding ▁skills ▁were ▁noticed ▁by ▁his ▁new ▁employ er , ▁who ▁gave ▁him ▁his ▁first ▁ride ▁in ▁a ▁race ▁at ▁Lincoln . ▁Not ▁long ▁after ▁his ▁debut ▁he ▁won ▁his ▁first ▁race ▁at ▁Le ic ester ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁With ▁the ▁determ ination ▁and ▁single - mind ed ness ▁that ▁was ▁his ▁tra dem ark , ▁he ▁achieved ▁his ▁dream ▁of ▁becoming ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁j ockey ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁Champion ▁J ockey ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁year , ▁not ch ing ▁up ▁ 1 1 8 ▁wins . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁five ▁years ▁after ▁Rich ards ' ▁racing ▁debut , ▁dis aster ▁struck ▁the ▁Sh ro pshire ▁j ockey . ▁He ▁contract ed ▁t uber cul osis ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁take ▁time ▁out ▁from ▁racing . ▁But ▁it ▁was ▁while ▁he ▁recuper ated ▁from ▁the ▁deb il it ating ▁disease ▁in ▁a ▁Nor folk ▁san ator ium ▁he ▁met ▁Bill ▁Row ell , ▁a ▁fellow ▁patient ▁who ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁on ▁his ▁life . ▁Row ell ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁something ▁of ▁a ▁ment or , ▁teaching ▁the ▁young ▁j ockey ▁how ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁the ▁rich es ▁that ▁would ▁come ▁his ▁way ,