Bob Champion appeals for help after Yorkshire memories go up in smoke

GRAND NATIONAL legend Bob Champion has appealed for photographs that chronicle his early life in North Yorkshire.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Jan 2018, 20:26 BST

Updated 13th Jan 2018, 10:25 BST

Bob Champion and Aldaniti clear the water jump in the 1981 Grand National.

A treasure trove of pictures that he intended to use in a forthcoming book were in his vehicle which was destroyed when a fire engulfed the Liverpool Echo Arena car park on New Year’s Eve.

Champion, who will be 70 later this year, beat cancer to win the 1981 Grand National on the Josh Gifford-trained Aldaniti in one of the most memorable – and emotional – races of all time.

Through the Bob Champion Cancer Charity Trust, the Guisborough-born horseman has raised almost £15m for charity since that triumph of the human spirit and he hopes readers of The Yorkshire Post can come to his assistance.

“I was going to take the photos to the publishers later in the week,” he lamented. “If anyone has any interesting photos, I’d love to hear from them. It’s not easy because of copyright.”

Pictures can be emailed to [email protected].