WHAT IS A GENTLEMAN RIDER?

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 453, 13 April 1875, Page 2

WHAT IS A GENTLEMAN RIDER?

This question cAme before Mr Justice Mellov and a jury, in tffe Bail Court, Westminster, on November 20 (say\ Bell's Life), in an action in which Mr William BiM< n was the p'aintiff, and Mr K. Wulker was the defendant. Mr Lord, in opening the case for the plaintiff, said the cas<- was the definition of a gentleman rider on the flat. This was an interpleader issue as to which of the parties was entitled to .£B6, the amount of stakes payable to the winner of the Welter Stakes at the last Wye Races, rim on the 27th May. The plaintiff (Mr Burton) was a well-known racing man, and owner of racehorses. He had a horse called Par Excellence, which was ridden by Mr William Bambridge, and this horse won the Welter Stakes, Mr Walker, the defendant, having a horse named Industrious, which came in second. An objection was made by Mr Walker that the plaintiff was not entitled to the stakes, because his rider, Mr William Barnbridge, -was not a gentleman rider. The Wye Races were mn under the Grand National and Newmarket Rules, which applied to the flat race in question,"- left^a- gentleman rider undefined. It was, therefore, left to evidence as to what was the common acceptation of the term — a gentleman rider. It was stated that all racing men understood a gentleman rider to be " a ra.m who does not ride for hhv." A jockey, on the contrary, was paid for his work. When the defendant objected, the stewards sent the cd,>e to the Jockey Club, who sent it back to the stewards, who awarded the stakes to the defendaW The learned counsel then called the plaintiff, who stated that his horse was ridden by Mr Bambridge, at lOst. lib. If Mr Bambiidge had been a professional jockey, then Par Excellence should have. had another 51b weight, Mr Barnbridge had never ridden for hire. Mr Barabridge corroborated this. When other witnesses were about to be cilled as to what was understood to be a crentletna-n rider, the defendant's counsel said he could not contend against the detiuiton, and a verdict was accordingly entered for the plaintiff.