SJA member Brough Scott, the founder of the Racing Post and leading sportswriter with the Sunday Times and most recently the Sunday Telegraph, has been made an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list.
Alastair Hignell, the former England rugby union full-back and long-time BBC Radio commentator, is also in the honour’s list, with a CBE less than a year after he was forced to retire due to ill health, having suffered with MS for the last decade.
Hignell, 53, has devoted much of his time to raising funds to combat multiple sclerosis after being diagnosed with the disease in 1999.
He said: “I am amazed, deeply honoured and overwhelmed. It’s been very humbling and absolutely wonderful to be recognised in this way, not just for the sport but also for the charity.”
Scott, 66, who rode 100 winners as a jockey before spending 30 years presenting racing, first for ITV and then Channel 4, is chairman of the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.
The three-time sports feature writer of the year, is also a trustee of the Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre and chairman of the Martin Wills Racing Writing Awards’ judging panel.
The Racing Post reported that Scott said: “I am very touched and it’s a great honour, but if you hang around long enough it happens, and I have certainly hung around long enough.
“I’m genuinely very thrilled to have been awarded the honour. I’ve worked with many fine people and they are also being recognised, as I am only the figurehead.”
He added: “What I don’t want is for this to be seen as a retirement medal. I hope it will spur me on to make a bit more of a contribution in the future as I’m keen to take things forward, and to bring other people forward as well.”
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