Someone who has been an integral part of the Aintree scene for more than 40 years will be missing when the tapes go up at the start of tomorrow's Grand National.

Findon trainer Josh Gifford has missed only one National meeting, through a broken leg, since his first ride over the big fences in 1962 when he was unseated from Siracusa at the ditch going to Bechers Brook for the second time.

"I must have ridden around 30 races over the National fences" said Gifford, "and failed to complete only four times.

"I was unseated three times and I had one refusal in 1966 with Regal John."

Josh never did win a National, but he did win the Topham Trophy twice on Dagmar Gittell beating his old friend Johnnie Lehane by a neck in 1962 and on Walpole a year or two later, but it was his second place on Honey End in 1967 that was Josh's most sensational ride at Aintree.

That was the year of the horrific pile-up at the 23rd fence, now known as the Foinavon fence after the horse who was so far behind that he avoided the melee and went on to win.

Team Spirit, who had won the National with Willy Robinson in the saddle three years earlier, had fallen and was running loose across the fence after Bechers, the smallest on the course.

It caused the leaders to refuse and within seconds there were horses milling around who couldn't get a sight of the fence to go and jump it.

"I was in mid-division on Honey End," recalled Josh. "I was just getting into the race after the leaders had set a furious gallop first time round.

"He was favourite and I was very happy going over Bechers Brook, but when he saw a dozen horses coming back towards him he just froze, totally bewildered.

"Jockeys were turning their horses to get them to jump the fence, but most of them simply refused again and it took me three attempts to get Honey End over it and on towards the canal turn.

"Johnny Buckingham on Foinavon had been some way behind and of course he had time to see what was happening and was able to steer clear of the horses, jump the fence and go for home."

As it turned out Josh was fifth to get his horse over the obstacle and by Valentines, two fences later, he had passed three of those and was in second place.

"I could see Johnny nearly a fence in front of me and Honey End was still full of running, so I set off in pursuit, gradually closing the gap," said Josh.

"Crossing over the Melling Road I was not far behind, but suddenly the petrol ran out. Honey End was at the end of his tether and all I could do was nurse him over the last few fences and go for second place."

Back in the weighing room, jockeys were confused. Foinavon was a 100-1 chance ridden by a journeyman jockey and stories of how well they were going when they were stopped at the 23rd were rife.

Jump racing being what it is, every single rider was genuinely delighted for Buckingham. He had got lucky and no-one begrudged him his success.

Honey End had been trained by Earl Jones, but the owner wanted Josh to ride and the only way that could happen was if the horse was switched to Josh's boss, the formidable Captain Ryan Price.

"Ryan was tough," recalls Josh.

"My first National ride on Siracusa came about because regular jockey Johnnie East was injured.

"The owner wanted me to ride but I was due to go to Worcester. The captain said: "I'll only let you off Worcester if they pay you £200 to ride the horse." A jockey's fee in those days was around £25.

"So I rang the trainer, Bobby Renton, and said I would ride but never mentioned the £200. I told the guv'nor I'd got the money and he let me go to Aintree."

Josh's last ride at Aintree was his swansong as a jockey in April 1970.

"I had a wonderful ride round to finish seventh to Gay Trip. I took over from Captain Ryan Price as trainer at Findon the next day."

Just 11 years later Josh achieved as a trainer what he had narrowly missed as a jockey. He won the race with Aldaniti, ridden by Bob Champion, recently cured of cancer.

"I was so thrilled to get Aldaniti to Liverpool," says Josh.

"He had such dodgy legs that he ran only once, at Ascot, before the National and in addition a foot and mouth epidemic had made travelling livestock very restricted.

"In fact the main reason Aldaniti ran was to keep Bob going after his ordeal and funnily enough he was a better horse the following year but fell at the first fence."

"Winning the National didn't sink in until the following day when Aldaniti and Bob were the stars at the welcome home party.

"I will be a bit sad not to be at Aintree on Saturday," says Josh. "The track has been pretty good to me and it's one of the great occasions every year. The atmosphere is even better than at Cheltenham."

Josh hands over the reigns at Findon in three weeks time to son Nick.