Charles William Bullock was a

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...

winning

flat racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

jockey, who in 1908 gained the rare distinction of having won the

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

and Oaks on the same horse,

Signorinetta Signorinetta (1905–1928) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, broodmare. In a racing career which lasted from 1907 to 1908 she ran thirteen times and won three races. Although most of her career was undistin ...

. He was also four times champion jockey of Denmark.

Early life

Bullock was from a racing family in the North of England. His grandfather and brother were both

racehorse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

s, his father was a greyhound trainer and his uncle, Ralph Bullock had won the 1861 Derby shortly before his untimely death.

Career

Bullock was apprentice to trainer Tom Bruckshaw in

Middleham Middleham is an English market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream from the junction of the River Ure and River Cover. ...

, North Yorkshire. However, owner/breeder/trainer Edoardo Ginistrelli gave him his greatest success by giving him the ride on Signorinetta in the Classics of 1908. As the only filly in the

, she started at odds of 100/1, but took the lead entering the final two furlongs and won easily by two lengths. In 2002, the result was rated by

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

as one of the ten greatest shocks in sporting history. Two days later, she started the Oaks at odds of 3/1, behind favourite

Rhodora ''Rhododendron canadense'', the rhodora or Canada rosebay, is a deciduous flowering shrub that is native to northeastern North America. Classification Today's botanists consider the rhodora to be a distant relative of the other North America ...

, who had beaten her in the

1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,60 ...

and on whom Bullock had won the previous season's

Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres ...

. This time she won by 3/4 length and Ginistrelli was personally congratulated by the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

. For his role in the victories Bullock only received his riding fees, a glass of wine and a cigar. After World War I, Bullock moved to Denmark where he became the leading jockey in four consecutive years, 1924-1927. During this period, he also won the 1926 Swedish Derby. He briefly returned to England in 1928, but two years later moved to ride in Germany. His last major victory was the 1933

Northumberland Plate The Northumberland Plate is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of 2 miles and 56 yards (3,270 metres), and ...

on Leonard. He continued to work as a work rider until 1959 when he was in his seventies. On his death in 1963, his final employer

Charles Elsey Captain Charles Frederick Elsey (10 December 188214 February 1966) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. The son and father of successful trainers, Elsey was one of the dominant racing figures in the North of England, for more than th ...

stated, "He was a delightful horseman. Horses that did not go for others went very well for him. We feel we have lost a very good friend."

Major wins

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ( ...

– ''Signorinetta'' (1908) *

Derby Stakes The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey ...

– ''Signorinetta'' (1908) *

– ''Rhodora'' (1907)

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bullock, Billy English jockeys 1880s births 1963 deaths

Early life

Career

Major wins

See also

References

Bibliography