Peter Ebdon, former world snooker champion, racehorse breeder and owner has announced his retirement, due to spinal issues. ANDREW ATKINSON reports on Ebdon’s career, a racehorse owner, to pedigree consultant, at Batsford Stud in Gloucestershire.
PETER Ebdon, who I did an exclusive interview with, when revealing he fell asleep while driving his car on a motorway, said: “There is serious deterioration in some of the vertebrae – I have been in pain since Christmas.
“I had an MRI scan about seven weeks ago, which picked up significant wear and tear in my neck.”
Ebdon, 49, who I befriended during coverage of the UK snooker Championship for over two decades, revealed his decision to retire to World Championship sponsor Betfred.
Ebdon won the 2002 World Championship, beating Stephen Hendry 18-17 in the final – at odds of 33-1 – and the 2006 UK Championship, amongst 28 titles, during a 29 year illustrious career.
“Two of the vertebrae need to be replaced. It is not an operation I want to have – because if it went wrong I could be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” said Ebdon.
When winning the 2006 UK Championship he became only the ninth player to have won both the World and UK Championship.
Ebdon combined his snooker career, being a racehorse owner forming the Peter Ebdon Racing Club.
Recently, Ebdon became a pedigree consultant, deploying his in-depth study of thoroughbred horses at Batsford Stud in Gloucestershire.
Ebdon set up a professional pedigree consultancy business having been understudy to one of the world’s leading professional pedigree consultants in Australia.
Ebdon launched his own business something that had been his ambition for three decades.
The Peter Ebdon Racing Club had horses split between trainers Eric Alston and Mick Easterby. Ebdon owned Poetry In Motion, trained by Alston at Edges Farm stables in Longton, Preston, Lancashire.
On winning in 1999 at Musselburgh, Alston said: “Poetry In Motion won in the colours of Peter Edbon, ridden by Willie Supple, a win well deserved.
“Poetry In Motion had been a little unlucky – having knocked a tooth out – when coming out of the stalls!”.
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