“Discipline, killer instinct, focus, sacrificing anything to succeed (and win). An incredible force. Surely the greatest Australia horseman. Unique, friend and mentor.”
With the Paris Olympics starting memories of the late Laurie Morgan and Rome in 1960 flashed back.
The opening quote was attributed to Morgan by the polo master Sinclair Hill, OA and OBE, who knows as much about horses and those that rode him as there is to know.
Morgan won two Equestrian Golds, the only Australian Olympian to achieve this in Rome Olympics where we were well represented by greats Dawn Fraser, Herb Elliott, Murray Rose and light heavyweight boxer Tony Madigan. Maybe Madigan, Waverley College schooled, was hardly an achiever like the others, but he did clash in Rome with a youngster, Cassius Clay who became Mohammed Ali, truly a champion.
Rome was a flight too far for me in 1960 but two years later I was in the north of England and fortunate enough to witness Laurie Morgan in action on College Master. Salad Days was his Olympic mount but Morgan was an image to behold on College Master around Aintree when it had more traps than a minefield and obstacles that would have made the Man From Snowy River take a hold.
The BBC did a documentary on the Grand National course with a jockey mounted in a helicopter going over jumps, turning in midair, relaying how he was thinking during the navigation. Just watching left me travel sick.
Morgan and College Master won a Grand National for amateurs, signified in form guides as “Mr”, for those being more suited to riding to the hounds, chasing foxes, than matching it with him. Of course, when Morgan and College Master took on the Grand National in 1962, the saddle opposition was stronger. The leading jockey Fred Winter, for one, would go wherever horse and man could go.
Alas College Master had a spill on the road while preparing, casting doubts about whether he would start. Morgan accepted but was only out to complete the ordeal. College Master ended up 14th. Fifteen failed to reach the winning post. Winter on Kilmore was triumphant.
For that too brief winter in Manchester, backing College Master and Morgan kept me in Guinness and Colchester oysters, a far taste away from my usual fare at the time, free pickled eggs over the pub bar and ale that could have been brewed from College Master’s droppings.
Back home Morgan bred the 1947 AJC Derby winner Valiant Crown and Royal Parma, successful in the 1968 Golden Slipper.
While he was giving Europeans razzle dazzle on the equestrian courses in Italy, Tony Madigan was a top medal hope as a light heavyweight, and had Ernie Christenson, with my stablemate at “The Sun”, the Sydney afternoon newspaper, in his corner. The Aussie team were light on staff.
Christenson covered seven Olympic Games, one out, for “The Sun”. Considering the brigades news organisation have in Paris I marvel at his ability. Yes, it’s a different era and he had Reuters but “The Sun” never missed a big story from Rome.
A sober authority and boxing expert to the degree Christensen was a judge for the 1970 Johnny Famechon – Fighting Harada world title battle in Tokyo, he maintained to me that Madigan beat Clay.
“The cold war was raging and so many wanted the USA to beat the Soviet Union in the Rome medal count,” Christensen related.
“It was obvious Ali was going to be very good but Madigan was an experienced, pro-standard boxer at his peak against an 18-year-old. Madigan had an edge but the judges didn’t see it that way.”
Back home Madigan was responsible for a civil service at the Newport Arms where Tim Bristow, private detective but more stand-over man, was the chucker outer. The dress of a young patron offended him, and Bristow, involved in racing being the owner of the above average Bilgola Boy, applied unnecessary violence. The battered youth was Madigan’s nephew. Shortly after Madigan arrived at the Newport Arms, these days gentrified to The Newport, in a pink suit which grieved Bristow who attempted to deny him entry. Shall we say Madigan appreciated the drop in class from Ali but then Bristow never had any.
