__NOTOC__ Richard Goodisson (c. 1750 – 1817) was an English

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-winning

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

and trainer, who won the first three runnings of the

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 (2 ...

between 1779 and 1781.

Career

Born in

Selby Selby is a market town and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse, with a population at the 2011 census of 14,731. The town was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until ...

, Goodisson moved south to

Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred hor ...

, like fellow Yorkshire jockey John Shepherd, to further his career and seek better money. There, he gained the attention of the

Duke of Queensberry The title Duke of Queensberry was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 3 February 1684 along with the subsidiary title Marquess of Dumfriesshire for the 1st Marquess of Queensberry. The Dukedom was held along with the Marquessate of Queensbe ...

, for whom he would ride and train until the Duke's retirement from racing interests in 1806. The partnership was only interrupted by a three-week disagreement, during which the Duke, having booked Goodisson to ride his horse, opted at the last minute to ride him himself. When the Duke died in 1810, he left Goodisson £2,000. Goodisson's most notable victory was the first

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 (2 ...

for

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, after whose residence the race was named, in 1779 on the bay filly

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of 5/2. He then won the two following runningson Tetotum in 1780 and on

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's filly Faith in 1781. He shared an intense rivalry with fellow jockey Sam Chifney. After one particularly rough race, the two became involved in a brawl, during which they both ended up using their whips on the other. A formal boxing match was arranged to settle the affair. It took place for a stake of 25 guineas on New Year's Day 1799 inside a roped ring in a room in the Duke of Queensberry's house. The fight lasted over an hour, with the stamina of Goodissonthe heavier and stronger manwinning out over Chifney, the cleverer boxer. Following the fight, they became and remained friends for the rest of their careers.

Style and reputation

Goodisson was said to have had a "flash of lightning style at the post" , as well as being "unsubtle but effective". He gained the nickname 'Hellfire Dick' because of his use of

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and was also known for his unkempt appearance, developing a reputation as "the most slovenly jockey in Newmarket". He was known to carry around £500 in cash in his pocket, a legacy of having once missed out on a successful bet for that amount because he had not had the money.

Personal life

Goodisson married Jane Bentley with whom he had four sonsWilliam, John,

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and Charlesand two daughters, Catherine and Ann. The latter two sons became jockeys like their father. Tom 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 gai ...

four times, though Charles predeceased his father, dying in 1813 at the age of 27. Goodisson died on 9 September 1817 in Newmarket.

Major wins

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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 (2 ...

- (3) - ''

(1779), Tetotum (1780), Faith (1781)''

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{cite book , last=Thompson , first=Laura , title=Newmarket: from James I to the present day , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RiDbAAAAMAAJ , year=2000 , publisher=Virgin Books , location=London , isbn=978-1-85227-853-3 1817 deaths British jockeys People from Selby

Career

Style and reputation

Personal life

Major wins

See also

References

Bibliography