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to Gosforth Park where Crouch was due to ride the king's horse Mouzelle in the Seaton Delaval Stakes; the horse was withdrawn as a mark of respect.[9]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

Citations

  1. Jackson, Linda. "John Lionel (Jack) Crouch". Epsom & Ewell Local & Family History Centre. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  2. "King's jockey is in missing plane". Dundee Courier. No. 26847. 21 June 1939. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. 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.
  4. "The King's jockey abroad". Western Morning News. No. 24794. 21 June 1939. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. Somerfield (1990–1999), p. 86
  6. Clark, Neil (30 May 2007). "Memories of a golden day in 1937". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  7. Lambie (2010), p. 479.
  8. Pathe Gazette Presents: the Derby 1937 (Motion picture). British-Pathé. 1937.
  9. "Tullyford at Newcastle". Nottingham Evening Post. No. 19016. 22 June 1939. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Bibliography

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