Richard Christian (1779–1862) was a celebrated English horseman.

Biography

Christian was the son of James and Jane Christian (née Lester) of

Cottesmore, Rutland Cottesmore (often pronounced Cotts'more) is a village and civil parish in the north of the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. In terms of population it is the largest village in Rutland, and the third-largest settlement after O ...

. He was taken on as a groom by Sir Gilbert Heathcote and was subsequently employed by the

Cottesmore Hunt The Cottesmore Hunt, which hunts mostly in Rutland, is one of the oldest foxhound packs in Britain. Its name comes from the village of Cottesmore where the hounds were kennelled. History The Cottesmore Hunt's origins may be traced back to 16 ...

, of which Sir Gilbert was

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

. In 1809 he set up as a farmer in

North Luffenham North Luffenham is a village in Rutland, in the East Midlands of England. The population of the civil parish at the 2001 census was 704, decreasing to 679 at the 2011 census. It lies to the north of the River Chater, east of Uppingham and wes ...

and in the 1820s he moved to

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...

, the centre of the English hunting world. Between 1841 and 1856 he was employed by Lord Scarbrough. He died in penury on 5 June 1862.

Career

George Underhill recorded (albeit inaccurately in relation to Christian's alleged illiteracy) that:

It was Dick Christian’s profession to earn his living out of the hunting field. He rode in many steeple chases but was never a cross-country jockey as we understand the phrase. He bought and sold many horses, but was never a professional dealer. He was paid for giving opinions upon the merits or demerits of many horses, but he was never a veterinary surgeon. He was “hail fellow well met” with everybody from
George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
to an earthstopper, and could hardly write his own name.

Among the famous races in which Dick Christian took part was the 1826 steeplechase between

Horatio Ross Horatio Ross (5 September 1801 – 6 December 1886) was a celebrated sportsman and a pioneer amateur photographer. Background and early life Ross was born at Rossie Castle, near Montrose, Angus on 5 September 1801, the son of Hercules Ross, ...

’s horse Clinker and

George 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 ...

’s Clasher. Christian rode Clinker and was narrowly defeated by Osbaldeston on Clasher. William Blew's history of the

Quorn Hunt The Quorn Hunt, usually called the Quorn, established in 1696, is one of the world's oldest fox hunting packs and claims to be the United Kingdom's most famous hunt. Its country is mostly in Leicestershire, together with some smaller areas of ...

recorded that:

Dick Christian's forte was making hunters. From all accounts he was not a first-class steeplechase rider; but up to a certain point in his life he had a wonderfully good nerve, and he was constantly put on rough horses with orders to turn aside from nothing, and he certainly carried out his directions. He jumped over a whole flock of sheep, and rode the mare Marigold over a most extraordinary drop fence, Marigold being a mare which had given a succession of breakers no little trouble.William C. A. Blew, ''The Quorn hunt and its masters'', J.C. Nimmo, London, 1899

Christian also took part in the first ever running of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase at Aintree, later renamed the Grand National. Up until the time of his death this was still considered to have been the first official running of the race. Christian also played a prominent, if comical role in the famous set of prints of the Quorn Hunt made by

Rudolph Ackermann Rudolph Ackermann (20 April 1764 in Schneeberg, Electorate of Saxony – 30 March 1834 in Finchley, London) was an Anglo-German bookseller, inventor, lithographer, publisher and businessman. Biography He attended the Latin school in Stollberg ...

in 1835:

"Who is that under his horse in the brook?" enquires that good sportsman & fine rider, Mr Green of Rolleston, whose noted old mare had just skimmed over the water like a swallow on a summer's evening. "Only Dick Christian," answers Lord Forester, "& it is nothing new to him." "But he'll be drowned", exclaims
Lord Kinnaird Lord Kinnaird was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1682 for George Kinnaird. The ninth Lord was created Baron Rossie, of Rossie in the County of Perth, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1831, with normal remainder to th ...
. "I shouldn't wonder", observes Mr Coke. But the pace is ''too good'' to enquire.

Christian also featured in The Druid's ''Post and Paddock'' and ''Silk and Scarlet''. In the former book, "Dick Christian's Lecture" is a vivid account of horsemanship and foxhunting in Leicestershire in the early 19th century, while the latter starts with "Dick Christian Again" , an early example of a writer willing to risk life and limb for a good story.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian, Richard (Dick) English hunters English jockeys 1779 births 1862 deaths People from Rutland People from Melton Mowbray People from North Luffenham