The 2026 running of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper will be run in honour of the late Sir Johnny Weatherby, who sadly passed away aged 66 on December 18 last year.
Staged on Ladies Day at the Festival (Wednesday March 11) the Grade One race will be contested as the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby).
A figure of great stature within racing, Sir Johnny Weatherby was the long-serving and transformative Chairman of Weatherbys, racing’s administrators for over 250 years and sponsor of the Champion Bumper since 1997. Between 2011 and 2020 he acted as Her Majesty’s Representative at Ascot, and on a personal level was an enthusiastic breeder, owner and amateur rider.
His brother Roger Weatherby said: “The Weatherby family are deeply touched that Cheltenham Racecourse and The Jockey Club have agreed to name this year’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper in honour of Johnny.
“The Champion Bumper was especially close to Johnny’s heart, as he played an integral role in Weatherbys sponsoring the race for the first time in 1997, a year memorably won by the brilliant Florida Pearl.
“Johnny also had a strong and enduring association with Cheltenham Racecourse more generally. He bred the dual Festival winner Presenting Percy, owned Top Wood who was twice placed in the Cheltenham Festival Hunters’ Chase, and, as an amateur rider, finished eighth in the race himself.
“To have his name associated with the Champion Bumper is a fitting tribute to Johnny, and we are all very much looking forward to the occasion.”
Guy Lavender, CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse, added: “All of us at Cheltenham Racecourse were deeply saddened to hear of Sir Johnny Weatherby’s passing at the end of last year.
“He was hugely knowledgeable about all aspects of the sport, and it was truly a delight to work alongside him with Weatherbys’ sponsorship of the Champion Bumper over almost three decades.
“We are therefore proud to run this year’s renewal of the Weatherbys Championship in memory of Sir Johnny, and our thanks go to the Weatherby family in helping to bring this about.”
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