Francis Buckle
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Francis Buckle (1766–1832), known to the British
horse 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 p ...
public as "The Governor", was an English
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 ...
, who has been described as "the jockey non-pareil" of the opening quarter of the 19th century, and the man who "brought respectability to race-riding". He won at least 27
British Classic Races The British Classics are five long-standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season. They are restricted to three-year-old horses and traditionally represent the pinnacle of achievement for racehorses against their own ...
during his career, a record which would not be beaten for over 150 years.


Early life

Buckle was born to a
saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...
r in Newmarket, one of six children, and baptised on 18 July 1766. His parents died when he was 12, and he was brought up by an aunt and uncle. His uncle had him apprenticed to a saddler, but he absconded and refused to return, saying that "nothing on earth would he follow but the horses and stables." He started racing at the stables of Richard Vernon, making his first appearance on 17 May 1783 at the age of 16. He rode a
bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
called Wolf, and weighed in at only 3st 13 lbs (25 kg). His mentor was Sam Chifney, from who he learnt his customary riding style - holding his horse up for a late run. He was well-regarded from that first ride onwards, his master reflecting that "that boy has a head".


Classic wins

His first win in one of the English Classics came in 1792, riding Lord Grosvenor's colt
John Bull John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...
, who he thought was the best horse he ever rode. Grosvenor would provide Buckle with three more Classic winners -
Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, an ...
in the 1794 Derby, Nike in the 1797 Oaks and Bellina in the 1799 Oaks. After Grosvenor's death, Buckle formed a profitable partnership with the leading trainer of the time, Robert Robson. With Robson, and his main owners the
3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...
and 4th Dukes of Grafton, Buckle won at least another eleven Classics, the unnamed jockey who rode the 1819 and 1825
1,000 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 (1,609 ...
winners also being assumed to be Buckle. In 1800, he won both the
St. Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
and The Derby on
Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...
. In his career, Buckle rode 27 Classic wins, including 5 Derby winners, 9
Epsom Oaks 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, ...
and 2 St Legers. Besides Lord Grosvenor and the Dukes of Grafton, Buckle also rode for Sir Charles Bunbury and Colonel Mellish. One of his most famous victories came at the 1799 Craven meeting at Newmarket. Buckle on Hambletonian met
Diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...
, ridden by
Dennis Fitzpatrick Dennis Fitzpatrick (1764–1806) was an Irish people, Irish, five-times British Classic Races, British Classic winning jockey. He was the first Irish professional jockey to ride in England and competed in some of the most notable match rac ...
, in a 4-mile -furlong
match race A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consis ...
. The amount bet on the race was without precedent, estimated at 250,000
guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
s, and Hambletonian won by half a neck. His last classics were the two Guineas of 1827, when, aged 60, he won on
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
and Turcoman. His last ride was on Conservator at Newmarket on 6 November 1831. He was still able to ride at 8 st 7 lb (54 kg), although he had to be careful with his weight, sitting down to a traditional dinner of goose only on the last day of the season. His final total of 27 Classic wins remained for 150 years, although it is considered possible he won two further Classics which are uncredited.


Retirement and death

When he retired, on account of his famous riding stamina, there was a public call for a race between him and the famous sportsman
Squire Osbaldeston George Osbaldeston (26 December 1786 – 1 August 1866), best known as Squire Osbaldeston, was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament but who had his greatest impact as a sportsman and first-class cricketer. Early life He wa ...
"to ride for 25 days or till either of them dropped." He was not to enjoy a long retirement. Only months after retiring from the saddle he died on 5 February 1832, "in the esteem of all the racing world." He is buried in the Orton Longueville parish churchyard, beneath a tomb carrying the inscription:


Personality

Buckle was legendary for his stamina. He would think nothing of making a 92-mile (148 km) round trip between his farm at Orton Longueville to Newmarket just for a trial. His outside hobbies revolved around his farm at Orton Longueville. He bred cattle, sheep, greyhounds, bulldogs and fighting cocks. Though the livestock he bred were of good quality (especially the sheep), he did not make much profit. He would also ride with the Hertfordshire Hounds, although he was known for falling at every jump. He was invariably seen accompanied by his bulldog. Buckle was known as honest - he would ride finishes against his own money in races - but lacking in intelligence. His obituary stated that he "died in the esteem of all the racing world."


Personal life

Buckle first married at the age of 24, but his wife died shortly after. He married his second wife, Jane Thornton, the daughter of a veterinary surgeon, in
Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...
in 1807. The couple lived in Orton Longueville, Huntingdonshire and had three sons, before moving first to
Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
, then
Bury St. Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton A ...
in 1822 for his sons' education, then back to Peterborough.


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 is ...
*
1,000 Guineas Stakes 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 (1,609 ...
- (6) - '' Corinne (1818)'', ''
Rowena Rowena in the Matter of Britain was the daughter of the purported Anglo-Saxon chief Hengist and wife of Vortigern, "King of the Britons". Presented as a beautiful ''femme fatale'', she won her people the Kingdom of Kent through her treacherous ...
(1820)'', ''
Zeal Zeal may refer to: * Zealotry, fanaticism ** Zeal of the convert * Diligence, the theological virtue opposite to acedia * Zeal (horse), race horse * Zeal (surname) * Zeal (web), an internet directory * Zeal Monachorum, a village in Devon * South ...
(1821)'', ''
Whizgig Whizgig (1819–1840) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1822. In a racing career which lasted from April 1822 until May 1824 she ran fourteen times and won seven races. Unrac ...
(1822)'', ''
Zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
(1823)'', ''
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
(1827)'' *
2,000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...
- (5) - '' Hephestion (1810)'', ''
Pindarrie Pindarrie (foaled 1817) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He raced five times and won the Riddlesworth Stakes and 2000 Guineas Stakes. He was owned by George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton, and trained by Robert Robson. He only raced in 1820 ...
(1820)'', ''
Reginald Reginald is a masculine given name in the English language. Etymology and history The meaning of Reginald is “King". The name is derived from the Latin ''Reginaldus'', which has been influenced by the Latin word ''regina'', meaning "queen". Th ...
(1821)'', ''
Pastille A pastille is a type of sweet or medicinal pill made of a thick liquid that has been solidified and is meant to be consumed by light chewing and allowing it to dissolve in the mouth. The term is also used to describe certain forms of incense. ...
(1822)'', '' Turcoman (1827)'' *
Epsom Derby 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 o ...
- (5) - ''
John Bull John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...
(1792)'', ''
Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, an ...
(1794)'', ''
Tyrant A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to rep ...
(1802)'', ''
Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...
(1811)'', ''
Emilius Emilius may refer to: People * Saint Emilius (died 250), Christian martyr * Emilius Ditlev Bærentzen (1799–1868), Danish painter * Emilius Bangert (1883–1962), Danish composer, organist, and academic * Emilius Bayley (1823–1917), English ...
(1823)'' *
Epsom Oaks 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, ...
- (9) - ''
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
(1797)'', '' Bellissima (1798)'', '' Bellina (1799)'', ''
Scotia Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p.698 The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" around ...
(1802)'', '' Theophania (1803)'', ''
Meteora The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.Sofianos, D.Z.: "Metéora". ...
(1805)'', ''
Neva The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it ...
(1817)'', '' Corinne (1818)'', ''
Zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
(1823)'' *
St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...
- (2) - ''
Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...
(1800)'', ''
Sancho The name Sancho is an Iberian name of Basque origin (Santxo, Santzo, Santso, Antzo, Sans). Sancho stems from the Latin name Sanctius.Eichler, Ernst; Hilty, Gerold; Löffler, Heinrich; Steger, Hugo; Zgusta, Ladislav: ''Namenforschung/Name Studies/ ...
(1804)''


References


Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buckle, Francis 1766 births 1832 deaths English jockeys People from Newmarket, Suffolk