Mr. Arthur Coventry 



The subject of our memoir sported silk for the first time 

 at Croxton Park in the spring of 1874, and a little later won 

 his first race on the fiat at Worcester on a horse called The 

 Baby, by which name his rider has been familiarly known ever 

 since : the victory being followed soon after by another, this 

 time in the form of a steeplechase at Melton. 



Since that period, until 1890, in which year he was 

 appointed ofificial starter to the Jockey Club, he never looked 

 back, as the saying is, his career as a gentleman rider being 

 one long series of triumphs from beginning to end. It is said 

 that Mr. Coventry attributes his success in the saddle in no 

 small measure to the tuition he received from Tom Cannon, 

 whose colours, once so famous as those belonging to the late 

 Marquis of Hastings, he donned on all occasions. 



If this be correct — and we will take Mr. Coventry's word 

 that it is — we can only say that the master of Danebury had 

 every reason to be proud of his pupil. 



In 1879 we find Mr. Coventry riding in the Grand National 

 for the first time, his mount being Bellringer, belonging to 

 Mr. Vyner, who, however, fell early in the race. 



In 1 88 1 he had rather better luck, finishing eighth to 

 Woodbrook on Mr. T. G. Baird- Hay's Montauban, starting 

 at 100 to 7. 



Mr. Coventry's first and last appearance at Aintree was in 

 1883, and again his hopes, and those of his teacher, were 

 doomed to disappointment. Jolly Sir John, who hailed from 

 Danebury and was backed for a heap of money — not only by 

 those immediately connected with him, but the public generally 

 — refusing at the second fence from the start. 



If unsuccessful, however, in emulating the performance of 

 his elder brother in the sensational Grand National of 1865, 

 Mr. Arthur did the next best thing to it by winning the 



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