JOHN FAULKNER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 46, 1 September 1928, Page 26

JOHN FAULKNER

ENGLAND'S OLDEST LIVING JOCKEY. A little, wizened old man, with mut-ton-chop whiskers, John Faulkner, the oldest English jockey, celebrated his 100 th birthday at Applcford, Berkshire, in March. He lives in a picturesque cottage, surrounded by ploughed fields anil country lanes, and he still potters about his garden, despite an accident six months ago, when a mule kicked him and smashed his thigh. Faulkner has a thousand and one interesting reminiscences of the Turf in the groat days of last century. At one time he hail to ride at 4st 71b, and lie. has ridden in every kind of ihbrsc' -race—stecplecliiise, oil the Itat, hurdles, and at •'Happing" meetings.' lie lias ridden in the City and Suburban, the Great Metropolitan, and the' Cesarowilch — 185(5. Almost every bone in his body lias been broken while riding or training horses. A drunken sailor ran across the course in the first race that, ho rode in. His liorso collided .with, the man, and they all went; down. The. sailor was killed. Another, time he bought a horse and roclo.it at a meeting which used to be held on the site of the present Caledonian cattle -market, London. After winning the race he sold the animal for £10. He rode in the Abingdon races up to the ago of 70. He has been twice married, and has had 32 children, the eldest being 67 and the youngest 2G. Most of his children arc "connected with horses, either on the Turf or on farms. No fewer than 350 donkeys of all a^es and sizes have been licensed to ply for hire on the sands of Blackpool, a popular English seaside resort, this summer. This number, believed to l)e the largest at any seaside resort in the country, is divided among ■40 owners.