memories from the green carpet

Chris Luke, a former National Hunt jockey, although only having only a limited number of rides to his name under rules was associated in his time with a number of successful horses in his care. He was also whilst in the armed forces a member of the Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery musical ride display team, traveling the country and parts of Europe in the early 1970s, before returning to a career in horse racing. In 1977 following one particular injury, he used his rehabilitation time to serve for eight months at The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace as a Royal coachman and State postilion during the year of Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977, which included his participation in the Silver Jubilee state ceremony from Buckingham Palace to St Pauls, also other engagements including the carriages parade at Royal Ascot. When all of the Jubilee celebrations were completed he returned to roles within the National Hunt fraternity until 1988, due to recurring problems from a former injury, forced to retire. Chris was also a much respected and successful football coach in South London between the years of 2001 and 2011, coaching and managing a successful Ladies football team and also an equally as successful girls side for the same football club, Flamingo’s Ladies, based in Peckham and later Catford. After taking early retirement in 2013 Chris has been concentrating on writing, following the opportunity having arisen to pen a friends biography.