Lester Piggott Knighthood: Was Lester Piggott knighted?

Lester Piggott was an English professional jockey.

Piggott boasts of 4,493 career wins, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories.

Piggott’s records makes him widely regarded as one of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time and the originator of a much imitated style.

Popularly called “The Long Fellow”, Piggott was known for his competitive personality, keeping himself 30 lb (14 kg) under his natural weight, and on occasion overusing the whip, such as on Roberto in the 1972 Derby.

Of his great winners, Piggott regarded Sir Ivor as the easiest to ride.

Piggott is also known for his criminal record as he was convicted of tax fraud in 1987 and sentenced to three years in prison.

Piggott retired as a jockey at the end of the 1985 flat season and became a trainer and his Eve Lodge stables in Newmarket in Suffolk, housed 97 horses and sent out 34 winners.

Piggott’s burgeoning new career as a trainer was ended when he was convicted of tax fraud and jailed.

Was Lester Piggott knighted?

Piggott was never knighted but, in 1975, he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to horse racing.

However, Piggott was stripped of his OBE (which he had been awarded in 1975 as an officer).

Piggott served 366 days in prison.

According to Piggott, a commonly held belief that he was prosecuted after using an undeclared bank account to make a final settlement of his tax liabilities is a myth.

Piggott died on May 29, 2022.