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Joe Childs
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Joe Childs
Joseph Childs (6 May 1884 – 5 February 1958) was a French-born, British-based flat racing jockey. He won fifteen British Classics in a 35-year career, the last ten years of which were spent as jockey to King George V. He was known for riding a slow, waiting race, and also for having a short temper which regularly saw him at odds with his trainers and owners.
Childs was born in Chantilly into a racing family. His father had ridden successfully in France, and his grandfather had worked at the stables of Peter Price in Newmarket. There were also four brothers – Albert, Arthur, Charles and Henry – who all became jockeys. Joe would go on to be the foremost of these, but Charles Charlie Childs would win the 1916 St. Leger on Hurry On, two years before Joe himself won it. Albert became a trainer in Marseille, France.
Childs was married to Emily Lavis (1887–1914) like Childs she was from a racing family, born in Chantilly and the daughter of racing trainer Alfred James Lavis, they had one child Joey who died in 1916.
Childs spent his apprenticeship at Phantom House, Newmarket, the stables of trainer, Tom Jennings Jr. His first winner came for Jennings in 1900 at the now defunct Lincoln Racecourse on a horse called Lady Alicia. He was aged just 16. The following year he took a step up, winning the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot on Stealaway and the final November Handicap to be run at the New Barns course in Manchester before it was relocated. In 1902, he won the valuable Great Metropolitan Handicap at Epsom and the Goodwood Cup. Yet, despite these wins, he was beginning to struggle to get rides. He no longer qualified for the apprentice weight allowance, which made him a less attractive proposition as a jockey. In response to this problem, Jennings arranged for him to spend some time in Europe.
The first French trainer for whom Childs rode was Maurice Caillault. However, the quick temper which would come to mark his career cost him his job with Caillaut, as it would do with the owner Duc de Gramont and during a short lived spell at an Italian stable.
He was back and forth across the Channel for a couple of years before he finally found success on a third spell in France. Deputising for the sidelined George Bellhouse, he won the 1908 Grand Prix de Paris for owner William K. Vanderbilt on Northeast. The following year he won the 1909 renewal on board Verdun for Prince Murat and he began to surge ahead with his career. In 1908, he had ridden 75 winners; in 1909, 90.
His next battle was with his weight. This problem was solved with a move to Germany to ride for the von Weinbergs, with a contract that was not dependent on his meeting a specific weight. The Weinberg brothers' trainer was Fred Darling and Childs formed a partnership with that trainer which would provide him with some of his most memorable victories, although given Childs' temper the relationship was often stormy.
He was based back in France in 1912, when he won his first Classic on Mirska for his old trainer, Tom Jennings. His successful spell in Europe, though, was cut short by the advent of World War I. He escaped France on the last train before the Germans arrived and had to leave all his possessions behind.
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Joe Childs
Joseph Childs (6 May 1884 – 5 February 1958) was a French-born, British-based flat racing jockey. He won fifteen British Classics in a 35-year career, the last ten years of which were spent as jockey to King George V. He was known for riding a slow, waiting race, and also for having a short temper which regularly saw him at odds with his trainers and owners.
Childs was born in Chantilly into a racing family. His father had ridden successfully in France, and his grandfather had worked at the stables of Peter Price in Newmarket. There were also four brothers – Albert, Arthur, Charles and Henry – who all became jockeys. Joe would go on to be the foremost of these, but Charles Charlie Childs would win the 1916 St. Leger on Hurry On, two years before Joe himself won it. Albert became a trainer in Marseille, France.
Childs was married to Emily Lavis (1887–1914) like Childs she was from a racing family, born in Chantilly and the daughter of racing trainer Alfred James Lavis, they had one child Joey who died in 1916.
Childs spent his apprenticeship at Phantom House, Newmarket, the stables of trainer, Tom Jennings Jr. His first winner came for Jennings in 1900 at the now defunct Lincoln Racecourse on a horse called Lady Alicia. He was aged just 16. The following year he took a step up, winning the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot on Stealaway and the final November Handicap to be run at the New Barns course in Manchester before it was relocated. In 1902, he won the valuable Great Metropolitan Handicap at Epsom and the Goodwood Cup. Yet, despite these wins, he was beginning to struggle to get rides. He no longer qualified for the apprentice weight allowance, which made him a less attractive proposition as a jockey. In response to this problem, Jennings arranged for him to spend some time in Europe.
The first French trainer for whom Childs rode was Maurice Caillault. However, the quick temper which would come to mark his career cost him his job with Caillaut, as it would do with the owner Duc de Gramont and during a short lived spell at an Italian stable.
He was back and forth across the Channel for a couple of years before he finally found success on a third spell in France. Deputising for the sidelined George Bellhouse, he won the 1908 Grand Prix de Paris for owner William K. Vanderbilt on Northeast. The following year he won the 1909 renewal on board Verdun for Prince Murat and he began to surge ahead with his career. In 1908, he had ridden 75 winners; in 1909, 90.
His next battle was with his weight. This problem was solved with a move to Germany to ride for the von Weinbergs, with a contract that was not dependent on his meeting a specific weight. The Weinberg brothers' trainer was Fred Darling and Childs formed a partnership with that trainer which would provide him with some of his most memorable victories, although given Childs' temper the relationship was often stormy.
He was based back in France in 1912, when he won his first Classic on Mirska for his old trainer, Tom Jennings. His successful spell in Europe, though, was cut short by the advent of World War I. He escaped France on the last train before the Germans arrived and had to leave all his possessions behind.
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