DEATH OF MR WILLIAM PERCIVAL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 960, 30 July 1908, Page 5

DEATH OF MR WILLIAM PERCIVAL.

The news of the death on Saturday last of Mr William Percival came as a shock to the host of Aucklanders who had known the deceased sportsman. Born at Wansford in England just sixty-seven years ago, Mr Percival came out to Canterbury when twenty-two years of age. In 1868 he came North and went to reside at the Thames where he remained for five years. As far back as 1873, Mr Percival was appointed secretary to the Auckland Racing Club, then a comparatively small affair, and he remained in office for thirty-two years. During that long period he watched the club make steady progress, rising to its present position as the leading club of the Dominion. At one time “ Percy,” as he was generally called, used to compile the weights for a number of clubs round Auckland, such as Takapuna, Thames, Papakura, Whangarei, Dargaville, and elsewhere, also acting for the A.R.C. for a number of meetings. For seven years he was master of the Pakuranga Hunt Club, resigning in 1893. In his young days he was a good man across country, riding several winners. He was also a good judge of a horse and was very seldom without one. He owned the well-known brood mare Satanella, who was bred by Mr Walters in 1881, being got by Hippocampus from Slander, and from her got those good horses St. Clements, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Ursula, and St. Olga, all claiming St. Leger as their sire. Mr Percival also bred Ben Godfrey, by St. Leger from the Musket mare Welcome Katie, and he also owned at one time or another St. Swithin, Tommy, Quilp, Electra and Leda. Mr Percival’s long association with sport brought him in contact with nearly every prominent sportsman in the Dominion. When he was retired some three seasons ago, the A.R.C. treated their old official generously giving him a liberal pension. By this means the committee proved conclusively their entire belief in Mr Percival’s personal integrity and that a series of frauds in the office which occurred at the time were in no way attributable to him. Nevertheless the old gentleman took the matter to heart and he was never the same man afterwards. Writing as one who at one time met him constantly, I can say that William Percival was a thorough sportsman to his finger tips, sometimes a little choleric in temper but always the first to make amends, impulsive but warm-hearted to a fault, in fact a man who had legions of friends and no enemies. A large concourse were present at St. Andrew’s cemetery on Tuesday afternoon to pay a last token of respect to a man who always “ played the game ” and who will long be remembered in Auckland.