John Crouch (jockey)
John Lionel Crouch (1915 – 20 June 1939) was a British racing jockey who was also known as Jack Crouch.
His parents were Walter Thomas Crouch (1877–1959) and Blanche (nee Phillips, 1880–1922),[1] and he was born in 1915 when the family resided in Deptford, part of the Greenwich area of London.[1] In April 1939, Crouch was engaged to Barbara Hives.[2]
He served his apprenticeship at the yard of Stanley Wooton in Epsom.[3] By 1933, he was successfully competing and accumulated 31 wins by 1936.[3] During October that year it was reported he was to be retained as the king's jockey[3] after Joe Childs retired.[4]
In the 1937 Epsom Derby he piloted the horse, Sandsprite, bred by Florence Nagle[5] at odds of 100–1, to second place behind Mid-day Sun, owned by Mrs Lettice Miller, the first woman owner ever to win the Derby.[6][7][8]
Crouch died when the de Havilland Dragon Rapide light aircraft he was a passenger in crashed on 20 June 1939.[3] The aircraft had been travelling from Heston to Gosforth Park where Crouch was due to ride the king's horse Mouzelle in the Seaton Delaval Stakes; the horse was withdrawn as a mark of respect.[9]
References[edit]
Citations
- ^ a b Jackson, Linda. "John Lionel (Jack) Crouch". Epsom & Ewell Local & Family History Centre. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ "King's jockey is in missing plane". Dundee Courier. No. 26847. 21 June 1939. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d Henderson, Tony (6 November 2013). "Auction revives memory of jockey's death in County Durham plane crash". The Journal. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014.
- ^ "The King's jockey abroad". Western Morning News. No. 24794. 21 June 1939. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Somerfield (1990–1999), p. 86
- ^ Clark, Neil (30 May 2007). "Memories of a golden day in 1937". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- ^ Lambie (2010), p. 479.
- ^ Pathe Gazette Presents: the Derby 1937 (Motion picture). British-Pathé. 1937.
- ^ "Tullyford at Newcastle". Nottingham Evening Post. No. 19016. 22 June 1939. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Bibliography
- Lambie, James (2010). The Story of Your Life: A History of the Sporting Life Newspaper (1859–1998). Troubador Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84876-291-6.
- Somerfield, Ferelith (1990–1999). Mission Accomplished: The Life and Times of Florence Nagle, 1894–1988 : the Woman who Took on Both the Jockey Club and the Kennel Club, and Won. Dog World Publications. ISBN 978-0-9500418-9-6.