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Photo courtesy Chris Pitt
George William Archibald ll, born April 2, 1915, in Oakland, Almeda County, California, was the son of George Archibald who won the 1911 Kentucky Derby before going on to England and winning the 1922 2,000 Guineas.
George Junior was educated in England at Hillsbrow Preparatory School, Redhill, Surrey, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Surrey.
He rode in the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree six times, coming third on Miss Dorothy Paget's Kilstar in 1939 after winning both the National Trial Steeplechase at Gatwick and Troytown Handicap Steeplechase at Lingfield on Kilstar the same year.
He finished second, beaten a short head, on Savon in the 1941 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
George was a British Army Captain (tank commander), serving throughout World War II (1939-45) with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, an Irish regiment, landing at Normandy two weeks after D-Day.
During World War 2, George was sent to Northern England to train. He tried smuggling his wife on board the train in a duffel bag. He was inevitably discovered and his wife was thrown off the train and left with 50 miles to trudge back to Newmarket.
He was awarded the British Bronze Star, France and Germany Bronze Star, Defense Medal, War Medal with Oak-Leaf for bravery. Mentioned in Despatches for Gallantry by King George VI, 1945.
George fathered two children during the war - George Henry, born July 23, 1944, and Valerie Ann, born August 1, 1946.
At the invitation of financier Paul Mellon, he emigrated to America in 1956.
George died in Ocala, Marion City, Florida on February 4, 1997.
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