https://www.racingpost.com/news/training-stalwart-bill-holden-dies-age-90/436490

He spent a bit of time in the Navy, always loved the sea/sailing (never sea sick however rough!!). He was a National Hunt jockey before taking on a training licence in Newmarket. Jump jockeys are courageous and break bones, as he did; he had a fall at Plumpton when he broke his teeth and First Aiders gave him a cup of hot tea on top of raw teeth nerves that made him ‘hit the roof’! He trained horses for John Hislop (owner of BRIGADIER GERARD) amongst others at his Exeter Stables in Exning near Newmarket. He was very kind to any animals in every way, didn’t like them to be farmed or killed (hence a vegetarian). He hated the whip being over-used on racehorses. If a jockey was overly harsh on a horse, he wouldn’t put him up again and he always tried to re-home his racehorses well, sometimes give or lease them to a good home. He was ‘cool’ in his manner so much so that staff nicknamed him “No Sweat!”. Stable staff revolve like tea-leaves in Newmarket so he had employed and knew many who would always address him as ‘Guvnor’. He retired life to life in Spain in 1997 but missed being in England. When latter-life difficulties arose in Spain it was his kind brother Stephen who went to the trouble of organising his return in 2017 and an amazing latter-day life journey followed.

Thank you for setting up this memorial to William. We hope that you find it a positive experience developing the site and that it becomes a place of comfort and inspiration for you to visit whenever you want or need to.