__NOTOC__ Herbert Ebsworth Jones, often known as Bertie, (30 November 1880 – 18 July 1951) was an English

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse racing jockey. He often rode for

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

, and in 1909 he rode the first Derby winner owned by a British monarch. He remains one of only fifteen jockeys to win the British Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown

Son of the jumping trainer Jack Jones, young Herbert was apprenticed to Richard Marsh at the age of ten and rode his first winner in 1896. In 1900, he won the British Triple Crown when he rode

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th anniver ...

to victory in the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Epsom Derby and

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 ...

. He was the work rider for the temperamental Diamond Jubilee and it was observed that this wayward colt went better for him than for any more established jockey. Diamond Jubilee had rolled on his race rider

Mornington Cannon Herbert Mornington Cannon (1873–1962), commonly referred to as Morny Cannon, was a six-time Champion jockey in the United Kingdom in the 1890s. He holds the records for the most wins by a jockey in the Craven Stakes, Coronation Stakes and Prin ...

after a gallop just before the 2,000 Guineas. Hence Jones gained his chance and won the Triple Crown on the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

's horse.

Later career

Among his other

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 ...

victories, he won the 1905

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 ...

, a second Derby in 1909, and the 2,000 Guineas on three more occasions. In the 1909 Derby on 26 May, Jones rode Minoru to victory at odds of 7/2 in a field of fifteen. This was the first time a horse owned by a British reigning monarch had won the race. The victory for the "royal" colt provoked "the wildest scenes of enthusiasm ever known in England", including a mass rendition of the National Anthem as the King led his horse to the winner's enclosure. In 1913, Jones rode another of the King's horses, Anmer, in the Derby. He was involved in a collision with

Emily Davison Emily Wilding Davison (11 October 1872 – 8 June 1913) was an English suffragette who fought for votes for women in Britain in the early twentieth century. A member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and a militant figh ...

, the suffragette, who was fatally injured. The horse knocked Davison over, turned a somersault and landed on Jones. He suffered significant injuries, including a mild concussion and was unconscious for a short time. He also needed a sling on his arm for a short while afterwards. His injuries stopped him from attending Davison's funeral, to which he was invited. King George recorded in his diary that "poor Herbert Jones and Anmer had been sent flying" on a "most disappointing day" and Queen Alexandra sent him a get well telegram after the "sad accident caused through the abominable conduct of a brutal lunatic woman". Within two weeks, he was well enough to ride Anmer at Royal Ascot. Fifteen years later, he laid a wreath at the funeral of Emmeline Pankhurst in honour of her and Emily Davison.Vanessa Thorp
"Truth behind the death of suffragette Emily Davison is finally revealed"
''The Observer'', 26 May 2013 Jones retired from riding in 1923. His last major win had been the

Nunthorpe Stakes The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is sched ...

in 1922 on Two Step.

Death

Late in his life, Jones became deaf and suffered two strokes. In 1951, soon after his wife's death and his onset of depression, he was discovered to have committed suicide after his son found him in a gas-filled kitchen. The idea that he had been "haunted" by the death of Davison and that this was the reason for his suicide were "an utter load of rubbish" according to his son John. There was nothing in a 1934 ghost-written feature in the '' Sunday Express'' that suggested he was long-term affected by it, and it is more likely that grief over his wife and deafness caused him to take his own life. He had in fact, been "gregarious, happy and contented" with an interest in gardening and local sports until the loss of his hearing.

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 ...

2000 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 ...

- (4) - ''

(1900),

Vedas upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...

(1905), Gorgos (1906), Minoru (1909)'' *

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 ...

- (2) - ''

(1900), Minoru (1909)'' *

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 ( ...

- '' Cherry Lass (1905)'' *

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 ...

- ''

(1900)'' * Eclipse Stakes - ''

(1900)'' *

Middle Park Stakes The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...

- ''Friar Marcus (1914)'' *

- ''Two Step (1922)'' * St. James's Palace Stakes - (2) - '' Cherry Lass (1905), Minoru (1909)'' *

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and ...

- (4) - ''Stephanas (1903), Troutbeck (1906), Minoru (1909), Winkipop (1910)''

References

External links