Apr_140_FromTheArchives_Owner Breeder 24/03/2016 16:21 Page 27
RED RUM, MARCH 28, 1974
The story behind the photo by George Selwyn Red Rum had already won the National the year before and it seemed a great opportunity to visit the horse at Ginger McCain’s Southport stable, situated behind his second-hand car showroom, two days before the big race. At Aintree I used to stay in the same B&B in central Liverpool as colleagues Ed Byrne and Alec Russell. I was only 22 at the time and it was very good of them to let me tag along. Red Rum used to walk through the streets of Southport on the way to the beach for exercise, sometimes using this level crossing. The lads are not wearing hard hats – that only became compulsory in 1976 and I think that, along with the street lamps, dates the picture to a different era. Billy Ellison is riding Red Rum but in later years the horse was looked after and ridden by Billy Beardwood, who is seen riding the horse in the noseband. I will never forget my visits to Southport to photograph Red Rum. The horse changed the history of the Grand National; he was definitely a one-off. I only recently discovered this negative again, but I’m very pleased that I did.