Certainly caught my imagination - strong , balanced and unflappable are three words that come to mind when memories of Rodney Kemp surface. The best of the best.
One of/if not the best WA has ever had, tragically his career was cut short in his prime. A giant personality with a never ending smile. It's an privilege to know the legend Rod Kemp. Throughly deserved.
My father passed away way back in 1991 , was just a very small punter , but he enjoyed it...recall vividly how upset he was with the outcome of Kempys' fall and the curtailing of his riding career , was quite surprised , he took it to heart a little , but think that is just a reflection of the esteem that Rocket Rodney Kemp was held in.
A little Kempy story here...when a youngster liked heading down to the race where the jockeys and there mounts trotted along just at the point where they left the gate and went out onto the track on their way to the barriers , in those days it was up towards where the old ledgers were...always a good gathering of punters....salt of the earth types, but occasionally a little desperate for a winner..there was always at least one of these punters asking the hoops as they were coming down...'any chance ?' most of the hoops were quite good too with there answers , some said 'no chance mate' and 'eachway' etc and some hoops were stoney silent. It was good to hear any banter , anyway the lucky last race with me meant all or nothing , pockets full of coin and scattered notes ( but not as many as I came with ) didn't matter it all went on the last! Punters milling around anxiously waiting , down the race the horses come..somebody cried out ...'any hope Kempy' ? Rodney Kemp with confidence and a twinkle in the eye replied 'place'. As a 'professional' place punter myself thought that's good enough for me...all on and all aboard. Never forgotten the horses name it was called 'Spinola' have a feeling black and pinkish colours but maybe wrong...in a blanket driving finish Kempy drove Spinola home into third place at around $3 a place. Coming back to scale after the race winner and runner up went past and as Kemp came past said 'your a man of your word Kempy' whether he heard or not it didn't matter , I was off to collect.
Rod Kemp champion jockey and champion bloke! I also have a story about Kempy when I was a 12 year old kid growing up in the country wanting to become a jockey there were no books in our school Library about becoming one. My Librarian suggested I write a letter and send it to the turf club. So I wrote 2 Letters one to Rod Kemp and one to Lisa Harris asking lots of questions and within 10 days I had a letter back from Rod Kemp answering every question I asked This was a bloke at the top of his game and didn't know me at all .He wrote another letter soon after . I went to the Bunbury Races soon after and I kept looking at him sitting in the waiting room before his rides and finally got the courage to go up and ask the person on the gate if I could talk to Rod Kemp and he came straight out having never met me or new who I was and said my name I was stunned and he talked to me for 10 minutes . I still have his letters that are 30 years old in a photo Album.
amazing, he wasn't that popular when he was riding, but he was always a worker, took him a long time to get to the top and tragically that was cut short, you can only imagine how many years he would have been No 1 but for that fall. Bob Morley must have unlucky not to get in. Mark Sestich was a public vote so he was never going to get in under the criteria
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A giant personality with a never ending smile.
It's an privilege to know the legend Rod Kemp.
Throughly deserved.
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It was good to hear any banter , anyway the lucky last race with me meant all or nothing , pockets full of coin and scattered notes ( but not as many as I came with ) didn't matter it all went on the last!
Punters milling around anxiously waiting , down the race the horses come..somebody cried out ...'any hope Kempy' ? Rodney Kemp with confidence and a twinkle in the eye replied 'place'. As a 'professional' place punter myself thought that's good enough for me...all on and all aboard. Never forgotten the horses name it was called 'Spinola' have a feeling black and pinkish colours but maybe wrong...in a blanket driving finish Kempy drove Spinola home into third place at around $3 a place.
Coming back to scale after the race winner and runner up went past and as Kemp came past said 'your a man of your word Kempy' whether he heard or not it didn't matter , I was off to collect.
oldhendo, spinking, Thunderstruck, Notapuntas, hash, Lendmefifty likes this post.
Rod Kemp champion jockey and champion bloke! I also have a story about Kempy when I was a 12 year old kid growing up in the country wanting to become a jockey there were no books in our school Library about becoming one. My Librarian suggested I write a letter and send it to the turf club. So I wrote 2 Letters one to Rod Kemp and one to Lisa Harris asking lots of questions and within 10 days I had a letter back from Rod Kemp answering every question I asked This was a bloke at the top of his game and didn't know me at all .He wrote another letter soon after . I went to the Bunbury Races soon after and I kept looking at him sitting in the waiting room before his rides and finally got the courage to go up and ask the person on the gate if I could talk to Rod Kemp and he came straight out having never met me or new who I was and said my name I was stunned and he talked to me for 10 minutes . I still have his letters that are 30 years old in a photo Album.
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