Lovers of the Horse 



85 



PERCY FORBES MATHIAS 



THE lumor of winning the first race over tlie new Blue Bonnets course at 

 Montreal fell to Mr. Percy Forbes ISIathias. There is probably no better known 

 or more admired gentleman rider in the Provinces of Quebec or Ontario than 

 Mr. Mathias. who has shown an interest in the hor.se for many years. He has done 

 all within his ])ower to further tlie sport, giving up a great deal of his time to it. He 

 is not only known in Canada but throughout the United States, and has ridden on the 

 majority of the tracks for the love of the s])ort, and not for any financial gain. 



A record of five victories out of seven starts on the ^Montreal Club's course at Blue 

 Bonnets is one that will not be equalled 

 in some time to con.e, and this is held 

 by the subject of this sketch. The first 

 race won on this track by Mr. INlathias 

 was with the mare Kathleen, owned by 

 Mr. C. S. Campbell, K.C., it being over 

 a distance of a mile. The next was at 

 the inaugural meeting of the Montreal 

 Jockey Clul) in the spring of 1907, on 

 Peter Knight, owned bv W. Keating;. 

 This victory was repeated later on with 

 the same horse. The next was on Kum- 

 shaw, owned by H. Higginson, while the 

 other victory was on Brick Top, owned 

 by Dr. McEachren. Mr. Mathias also 

 finished second with Peter Knight at the 

 same meeting. 



Mr. [Mathias" first start in the racinir 

 world was when he owned The Bah- 

 squada. It was on this mare that he rode 

 his first race, and finished second in a 

 field of .seven starters, being the onlv 

 gentleman rider uj). He is one of the 

 oldest members of the Montreal Hunt, 

 and can be fountl regularly at the runs. 



Mr. Mathias is the son of ^NFajor 

 Mathias, of ^Melbourne, P.Q., having been born at Moh 



Canada thirty years ago with his parents. He went into the insurance business in 

 Montreal some years ago and at the time of writing is one of Montreal's brightest 

 l>usiness men. He has been connected with the Norwich Union Fire Insurance 

 Society for a number of years, being one of the society's special agents. Mr. Mathias 

 was married in the fall of 1907 and makes his home in Montreal. He is a member of 

 the St. James Club, as well as of manv of the other organizations of Montreal. 



Percy Forbes Mathi 



\\ales, and coming to 



