William Scott (1797–1848) was a British
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 ...
. Known as "Bill", he was a brother of the renowned
trainer John Scott who frequently conditioned horses that he rode.
Based at his brother's Whitewall Stables in
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 13,000 ...
, Bill Scott won nineteen of the
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 ...
, including 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 ...
a record nine times of which four were in a row from 1838 through 1841.
He was already a jockey of some national renown by the early 1830s, being described as the "
Chifney
Samuel "Sam" Chifney (''c.'' 1753 – 8 January 1807), also known as Sam Chifney Sr., Sam Chifney the Elder or Old Sam Chifney to distinguish him from his son, was an English jockey. He was a pioneer of professional race-riding, developing a tra ...
of the north".
[ "For hand, seat and science in a race, he is very little inferior to anyone."][
He was also "possessed of considerable property (part in right of his wife)".][
In 1836, Scott won the first of his three ]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, ...
aboard Cyprian, a filly owned and trained by his brother John. He also owned (and trained) Sir Tatton Sykes whom he rode to victory in the 1846 2,000 Guineas
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 ...
, his third win as a jockey in that Classic. He also rode Sir Tatton Sykes to his ninth victory in that year's 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 ...
.
According to the Roger Longrigg book, ''The History of Horse Racing'', Scott reportedly consumed alcohol
Alcohol most commonly refers to:
* Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom
* Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks
Alcohol may also refer to:
Chemicals
* Ethanol, one of sev ...
in excessive quantities which sometimes affected his racing performance. According to several sources, Sir Tatton Sykes, who finished second in the Epsom Derby, would have won the race "if Scott had not been drunk and unable to steer his mount on a proper course."Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
.
Bill Scott died at his home at Highfield, Malton in 1848 having ridden almost to the time of his death. He is said to have declared on his deathbed that he "had never pulled a horse in his life, never gone to bed sober and never kissed a lass against her will".
References
Bibliography
* Longrigg, Roger (Foreword by Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon (June 11, 1907 – February 1, 1999) was an American philanthropist and an owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall ...
) ''The History of Horse Racing'' (1972) Macmillan, London
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, William
1797 births
1848 deaths
British jockeys