Gentlemen Riders 



Cheshire, and it was there that his steeplechase riding career 

 commenced, his initial mount, and a winning one, being on a 

 horse called " Get away," in the Farmers' race at Tarporley. 



One mount followed another, and such a favourite did he 

 become that, before long, a hunt meeting in Cheshire and the 

 adjoining counties, without " Billy " Baldwin sporting silk 

 thereat, would certainly have been considered imperfect — not 

 to say a failure. 



Most fearless of horsemen, and sanguine to a degree, he 

 was fairness itself when riding, so much so that rather than 

 take what he thought would be an unfair advantage in any 

 way, he would prefer to lose. For instance, at one meeting 

 at Tarporley, he rode in a race, the conditions of which were 

 that it was for " Gentlemen Riders " only. 



The most dangerous one of the lot was to be ridden by a 

 jockey, who certainly had no right to the title, and a friend 

 aware of this fact, approaching ** the Lion," said : " You've 

 only to object to Mr. , Billy, and you'll have a walk over." 



" Not I ; let him win if he can," was the characteristic 

 reply. 



Of the many horses he rode, a grey, called Reckless 

 (late Grey Momus), on whom, besides other events, he won 

 the open steeplechase at Tarporley in 1871, was his favourite ; 

 whilst Bracket, Patty, Artesian (by Stockwell), and Balaam all 

 won in their turn. Probably his most successful day was at 

 the Croxteth Hunt meeting in Lancashire, when he won no 

 less than six events the same afternoon. On Dandy, too, a 

 horse with a crooked pair of fore legs, he won the West of 

 Scotland steeplechase. 



This fine old sportsman was gathered to his fathers in the 

 latter end of November, 1903, being finally laid to rest in 

 Leyland churchyard close to the house which gave him birth. 



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