HENRY GEIMSHAW.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1307, 15 January 1867, Page 3

HENRY GEIMSHAW.

[From the " Saturday Beview."]

The accident which caused the instantaneous death of the well-known jockey Henry Grimshaw created a profound sensation, not only among frequenters dP the Turf, but in the mind of the public generally. The first jockey of the formidable French stable, the rider of G-ladiateur in his great races of last year, had gained a European reputation at the age of twenty-seven; and having reached thus early the highest honors of his business there seemed to be in store for him a long enjoyment of its emoluments. He had married a daughter of his master, the late John Osborne, in whose training stables he, as well as other distinguished jockeys of the day, acquired a thorough knowledge of his work. He lived near Newmarket, and | wasretuming homeward by way of Cambridge, after riding for Count Lagrange at Northampton. His groom met him at Cambridge with a dog-cart, and a thoroughbred horse which had been at a former time in training. They started after midnight. Grimshaw, who was near sighted, insisted on driving, although the groom, who had broken the horse to harness, begged to be allowed to take the reins. They were seen to pass a toll-gate, and then a crash was heard, the lights disappeared, and all was still. The cart was found bottom upwards in a ditch, with Griinshaw under it, unhurt externally, but dead. The horse was lying motionless. The groom was senseless, and severely injured.

The enormous popularity enjoyed by a successful jockey, and the honor and almost worship bestowed upon him, render such a calamity as this which has befallen Grimshaw an occurrence of very wide-spread interest. The amounts depending upon the result of any considerable race are so heavy, and the interests affected by it are so wide spread, that the conduct of the principal performers is known and canvassed everywhere. The discussion of the finish for this year's Derby was maintained until the same two horses met again in the St. Leger. Custance has done this year what G-riinshaw did last year — that is, he has ridden the winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby and the St. Leger. But Custance only gained his last two victories by a head, whereas G-rimshaw had the luck to mount a horse so far superior to the rest of his year that he had nothing to do but to sit still upon him. Thus, without disparaging Grimshaw's skill, he is principally to be admired for his good fortune. His opportunities for displaying brilliant horsemanship were not equal to those of his contemporary Challoner, whose riding of Macaroni in the Derby, and of Caller Ou and The Marquis in the St. Leger, may be placed along with Custance's performances of this year upon Lord Lyon, as in the highest class. There is, however, no reason to suppose that Grimshaw was deficient in that skill which the excellence of the horse he rode prevented his being called upon to display. The art of a first-rate jockey is indeed worthy of the admiration which it excites. The first of all qualities is nerve, which must be combined with great physical power, that knowledge of pace which is perfected only by long practice, and the prompt and sure judgment which measures exactly and immediately the capacity both of the jockey's ownhorse and of its competitors. " The different phases of the art, such as cutting down the field from end to end, getting in front to stop the pace, making the running up to a certain point, and then letting yourself be headed, and coming again; lying away from your horses if you are on one which cannot be hurried, and creeping up inch by inch to them before the pace becomes too great" —these are matters which are thoroughly understood only by the consummate horseman who has improved his natural talent for jockeyship by extensive practice. The foregoing passage is quoted from one of the popular works of the " Druid," who has done so much to collect and preserve the traditions of the great exploits of the two Chifneys " Sain and Sampson," of Buckle, Eobinson, Butler, Marson, Templeman, Flatman, and others of the generation before our own. The same writer carries us back to the cradle of modern jockeyship in Yorkshire more than a hundred years ago. Thomas Jackson, of whom it is written upon his tombstone that •' he was bred up at Black Hambleton, and crowned with glory at Newmarket," was a type of many a hardy youth who had learned riding m the North and turned his skill to profit in the South. The earliest jockey of whom existing tradition speaks was John Singleton, who was born at Pocklington, in Yorkshire, in 1715. Dick Goodisson found his way from Selby, in the same county, to Newmarket, where he was employed by the Duke of Queensberry. He had two sons brought up to his own profession, and a story is told of one of them which may be appropriately recalled to memory in connection with Grimshaw's accident. His horse flung him at the post, and when he had gathered himself up he said, "There's for you! That's the grand jockey Tom Goodiston. If it had been a horse-dealer's cad he'd never have been flung that way." If Grimshaw had allowed his groom to drive the dog-cart, it might have carried him safely home. Clift, who also was Yorkshire-bred, used to be engaged during the winter months to ride from Liverpool to London, to carry the

numbers ofwraning tickets in the Irfsh lotteries! Bill Arnull found wasting a sore burden, but "in a moment of enthusiasm he performed the unrivalled feat of knocking off 71bs in one day." David Jones began life as a post-boy, riding with horn and saddle-bags in London. Then followed a stable apprenticeship under Chifney, senior. Afterwards he served all through the Peninsular war a3 head groom to a general, and came back to train and ride once more. Blindnessandothermisfortunes brought him to Chelsea Workhouse, where he died. Billy Pierse was wont to say, by way of review of his own career in the saddle, " I've done as many as have done mc." He used to visit his master, the Duke of Cleveland, at Eaby, and dine with him every day for a month, but he told his friends, " I never forgot that I was Billy Pierse." He was poisoned by a draught sent to him by a doctor's assistant in mistake. When told what must be his fate, he simply said " that it was hard to die before one's time." Everybody has heard the story of Lord Palmerston's trainer going to look for him in the House of Commons, and saying to the policeman at the door, " I'm John Day." A good story is told of Bill Scott and Sim Templeman, each playing a waiting game at Doncaster, when Scott begged his rival to leave off walking and at least to trot, and a friend at the rails proposed to bring pipes and something hot for the pair. The brothers Scott, who as trainer and jockey carried so many prizes home to Malton, were instructed by Croft of Middleham. It would be superfluous to speak of the training principles of the veteran John Scott. His brother, William Scott, was in his best day equally masterly in the saddle; and although in later years he did not ride races as he had been used to do in his prime of power, his judgment in riding trials was to the last infallible. This place, Middleham in Yorkshire, where the Scotts learned their art, was the home of John Osborne, the master of the unfortunate Grimshaw.

The deceased jockey was engaged to ride Gladiateur in France, on Sunday last. The horse ran in his old form and won, but the jockey whose name will always be associated with his was lying still in death, and awaiting the day appointed for carrying him to his grave in Yorkshire. When another " Druid " of the next generation shall collect the traditions of Middleham and Newmarket, be will meet with no more melancholy story than that of poor Harry Grimshaw, whose youth was full of promise, as his manhood of performance, and who, after gaining easy triumphs on " the best horse of modern times," was thrown into a ditch and killed in attempting to drive a horse which, professionally, he would have disdained to ride. Another jockey will now wear the red and blue of Count Lagrange ; and although a skilled horseman may be found to replace Grimshaw, it is likely to be long before the stable produces a second Gladiateur to carry him. It appears that, on hearing of Grimshaw's death, the trainer of Gladiateur telegraphed for Custance to come over and ride him. But the jockey of Lord Lyon could not reach London in time to succeed Grimshaw in the honor of riding Gladiateur in what will probably be his last race. The reports of the Newmarket Second October Meeting, which has been held this week, read strangely imperfect without the name of Grimshaw ; for James, the younger brother of the deceased, is the most popular light weight of the day, and few great handicaps are run without his getting a forward place. When the Houghton Meeting comes on, it will be only seven years since Henry Grimshaw made .his reputation by winning the Cambridgeshire upon Eed Eagle. There is scarcely any calling in which success comes so early as to the light-weight jockey. Boys earn the rewards, and assume the habits and expenditure, of men. It is to be feared that the moderation of Billy Pierse is not often imitated by the son of humble parents who finds that his skill in riding a close finish has made him the idol of those for whom he has won thousands.