Tribute paid to Newmarket ‘racing advocate’ Jon Snaith after death aged 67

Tributes have been paid following the death of a former jockey who became a popular member of staff at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.

Jon Snaith, who was 67, died suddenly at his home in Weston Way on Saturday.

The son of legendary jockey and Newmarket character the late Willie Snaith and his wife Sylvia, Jon leaves his partner Emma Powney, son Louis, brother Derek and sister Helen.

Born in 1955, Jon had wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps into racing from an early age and was apprenticed to trainer Brian Swift at Epsom. His first racecourse outing was in 1972 but it took another 18 months before he rode his first winner, aboard Prince Gourmet at Sandown in May 1974.

However, his heart was always set on jumping, so Swift sent him to Plumpton where he schooled horses over hurdles alongside top jockey David Mould.

From then on, National Hunt racing was where Jon wanted to be and his first successes came in quick succession with Swift’s grey hurdler Zarajeff, which he rode to victory at Ascot in October 1976 and again in November at Windsor.

An absence of chasers in Swift’s yard saw Jon join Nick Gaselee at Lambourn where he had a few winners before taking the decision to turn freelance.

Sadly, the falls began to come as Jon rode horses which he had never sat on before the races, with a career-ending fall in the 1983 Topham Trophy when his mount Oaklawn refused and unseated him at the last open ditch.

He fractured his skull and woke up in hospital after six weeks in an induced coma to be told, at only 28, that he must never ride in a race again.

Jon was devastated and suffered badly with depression, the Injured Jockeys’ Fund playing a major role in his eventual rehabilitation when he trained as a gardener and worked for Lord and Lady Phillips at Dalham Hall before it was bought by Sheik Mohammed.

It was then Jon started on his final job at the National Horseracing Museum which took him up to retirement in 2018.

He worked initially at the old museum in the High Street after he was interviewed by the then deputy director Graham Snelling who offered him a job.

“It was absolutely the right decision,” said Mr Snelling. “Jon took responsibility for our practical gallery which included the horse simulator and he was very much involved in interacting with the public.

“He was a great advocate for racing and would regale visitors with his stories. He was very loyal and enthusiastic and, although he may have lived rather in his father’s shadow, it didn’t bother him and he enjoyed the occasions when he brought Willie along to work with him,”

They both left the Horseracing Museum soon after it moved to its Palace Street site, but continued to be friends, chatting on a weekly basis and occasionally having breakfast together.

“He became a lifelong friend to me and I will certainly miss him,” said Mr Snelling. “He will be fondly remembered by many people in Newmarket,”