RIP Walter Swinburn - Archived from 2016
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Walter " Wally " Swinburn on Tuesday, December 12th 2016.
A horse racing great and a former pupil of Rockwell College , along with his brother Michael , he was class of 1979.
Our three-time Derby-winning Champion Jockey died aged just 55 years old. He will be truly missed.
Walter was always an over achiever, during his time at Rockwell College he was an exceptional scrum-half and was destined for bigger things on the rugby fields if horse racing hadn't intervened.
Fondly known as ‘The Choirboy’ for his youthful looks, Walter won 8 British Classics, including the 1981 Derby with Shergar, and the Irish Derby twice together with numerous International Races such as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp , the Rothmans Canadian International Stakes and the Washington DC International to name but a few. He rode some of the best horses including Indian Queen Shahreastani, Shareef Dancer, Shadeed, Pilsudski and of course Shergar .
Walter kept close ties with Rockwell College and supported the Union . He was recipient of the Rockwell College Union "Past Pupil of the Year" award in 2007 and on the night gave a captivating speech at the Annual Dinner to a packed house .
Walter Swinburn's Greatest Wins