Is it really that long ? - Archive stuff from Marcus Armytage

It seems a long time ago that Marcus wrote this lovely piece in the Daily Telegraph, 12th November 2008 to be exact - and a lot of things have changed since then from Lenny retiring, to another serious injury (I never agreed with the likening to Fraser either1) but I do feel that my luck is changing again for the better and I am lucky to be doing something that I really enjoy. I am riding for some lovely people again including James Moffat, Brendan, Micky Hammond, Peter Monteith and of course Rose Dobbin and the nicer horses are starting to come out

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Marcus Armytage - wrote in the Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/3448845/Wilson-Renwick-journeyman-jump-jockey-finally-enjoys-some-decent-breaks-Horse-Racing.html

Wilson Renwick, journeyman jump jockey, finally enjoys some decent breaks
When Richard Dunwoody was still riding he nominated a young jump jockey, Wilson Renwick, as a future star. It has been a long time coming but the former Champion's prediction might prove right after all.

Hawick-born Renwick, 28, has ridden six winners in the last week including a treble for Lenny Lungo at Sedgefield on Tuesday. In between northern meetings, he is coming south for Brendan Powell regularly and, at Cheltenham on Saturday, is due to partner Sir Bathwick for the trainer in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The son of a joiner and a florist, it was Renwick's grandfather, a trainer of 'flappers' in the borders, who stoked his interest in horses.

Before long he was runner-up in the amateur riders' title and, but for the early part of his professional career stuttering along between broken legs, he might have been a regular top-10 jockey.

He had barely turned professional when a succession of injuries struck. It began when a horse reared over on him breaking his ankle, rupturing his cruciate ligament and crushing an artery.

He returned, at length, to finish second to Marcus Foley in the 2002 Conditional jockeys' title but shortly after losing his claim, a crucial time in a jockey's career, disaster struck again.

He broke his leg, returned for two months and broke it again in the same place making a mess of the pins and plates already in there.

Things looked so bleak he even trained as a bathroom tiler while he was sidelined. Later on he had another long interruption to have the replacement pins removed.

When he returned again most of his contacts had, understandably, replaced him. Last year, however, he was promoted to first jockey to Lungo and just over a month ago was approached by Powell to ride for his Lambourn yard.

Renwick has a dry, slightly dour Scottish sense of humour and has been likened by one friend as Fraser from Dad's Army.

When asked if he could do a 'jolly' interview before his first ride in the Grand National last season he replied: "I don't think I do jolly, by the time I've finished you'll be giving out the number for Samaritans."

Commuting between Hawick and Lambourn he is, he says, at least getting full value from his road tax.