it was the equivalent of fighting Muhammad Ali at his peak with your right hand strapped to your waist and to lose on points by 1 point. Crisp came within a neck of achieving the impossible....it was the greatest Grand National performance ever, even in defeat.

Richard Pitman still to this day blames himself even now he looks back and regrets this mistake never forgets how much thrill this horse gave him over this National fence also at the time the Grand National was rumored to be the last they might close down this race

It would have been curious to see them in the 74 grand national.I think Crisp was the better horse over shorter distances than the national but Red Rum ruled over 4.5 miles.Red Rum had a lot more stamina over 4.5 miles.

@@kevjards yes I agree with that, red rum himself carried a lot of weight in his subsequent grand nationals. If they were racing off level weights in 1973 though I’m sure crisp would have won by 20 lengths. 2 to 3 miles was crisps ideal trip.

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z6d9drGfxMWaqqs.html a little bit of justice / revenge

​@@mikerainham Crisp got his revenge on Red Rum kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iKuBd8511tTFg4E.html

Bullshit, Pitman gave him the ride of his life. Just couldn’t manage to give Red Rum some serious weight over the hardest race in the world. Oh! Didn’t Rummy win a few more there too. Piss me off statements like yours

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/irp5g6eG0KzTj5c.html See another clip of crisp 1975 whitbread gold cup

I hold my hands up , yes many other jockeys would have won the 73 Grand National and I,v had to live with that ever since , he only raced once more in a level weight match with Red Rum the next Autumn at Doncaster to win by 10 lengths but bowed a tendon , hunted for 8 years in Yorkshire after .

@@richardpitman9996 I disagree, I have watched that race over and over 100s of times, while you may have handled things slightly differently I don't believe you should ever be upset with the way you rode him for a number of reasons. He was a 2 mile chaser running over 4.5 miles He was beaten by arguably the greatest long distance steeplechaser of all time He carried 23 lb more than Red Rum The beat the previous race record by 19 sec if my memory is correct He carried the same weight a L'Escargot who was then runner up the following year and winner a year later and beat him by 25 lengths Now for the 2 most important factors, Crisp had nothing left to jump it was possible that he thought the race was over, if there was another jump I think he would have kept going Brian Fletcher's ride was perfectly timed, Red Rum had so much momentum Crisp never saw him coming, if Red Rum hit the front 200yds earlier would Crisp have picked up again? He just had nothing to jump and nothing to race against, I don't think what happened at the elbow made much difference, Red Rum still would have won in my opinion. It has been 47 years since the race and people still talk about it as the greatest race of all time, if Red Rum fell at the canal turn, and Crisp won by 25 lengths I guarantee nobody would still be talking about it. Dick your ride is nothing to be ashamed of it was almost perfect it took a champion with a lot less weight and perfect timing.

@@richardpitman9996 That was the greatest horse race of all time, no doubt about it and you (and Crisp) were the ones that made it so. I still get it emotional watching it (for the 100th time !). You should be exceptionally proud of your role back then and are, if anything, too self effacing (but that's a great trait). It's stretching credibility to think that any other jockey might have reacted differently after the last and, although you have surmised that the whip use may have amounted to a 2 or 3 length differential, I would respectfully say that is an exaggeration. It may not have even been the three quarter length winning margin. Who knows, really ! They say that Red Rum saved the National and there is a lot on truth in that but, in my very humble opinion, the '73 National was the key turning point and Crisp played as big a part. Separately, some say that Crisp raced in one hurdle (at Wincanton ?) the next season and was 4th in the Whitbread (in 1975, as per the link, above) after the match at Doncaster as well. Take care Mr.Pitman, you have consistently shown your calibre as a human being and the magnificent Fred Winter would be doffing his cap to you were he still with us.

@@richardpitman9996 What might have happened with a different jockey etc. will always be speculation. To my eyes, after the last fence Crisp just looked exhausted, and no wonder.

Flyingbolt

Arkle in reality or in your dreams wouldn’t go to the National. Have some dignity and respect Rummy for what he was: the greatest national horse ever. Beating gold cup winners over the fences too !

@@phil2003ashleigh What are you talking about? I didn't suggest for one moment that Arkle should have gone for the National. I was merely musing on a champion of champions Cheltenham Gold Cup. Much as I have great respect and love for Red Rum, his assets were stamina and jumping ability. Over 3 miles he would have been eaten alive by the horses that I've named, all of whom could jump equally well, and all of whom were much faster.

Spaz by name, spaz by nature.