Arthur Barker
(1862-1909)
Arthur Henry Barker was born at Biggleswade on September 21, 1862, the son of solicitor Horace Barker. He married Kathleen Curtis on May 16, 1894.
He scored his first success in around 1877 when flat-race jockey to Peter Price at Newmarket. In 1879 he scored 31 victories, 31 seconds and 28 thirds. This, owing to his increasing weight, proved to be his best season.
As a jockey he finished second in both the 1893 Derby on Ravensbury and the 1893 Grand National on Aesop. He won the 1894 Manchester November Handicap on Ravensbury who had finished runner-up in all three races for the triple crown. He also won the Liverpool Hurdle three times on Skyscraper (1887), Poussin (1893) and Crestfallen (1899).
At times Arthur rode in France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Hungary. Among the owners of jumpers for whom he rode in this country with success included Mr Abington and Baron de Tuyll.
He went to ride in Germany 1895 but suffered two horrendous falls, 1903 and 1904.
After retiring from the saddle in 1904 he settled down in Totis (Hungary) as a public trainer.
Arthur endured a personal tragedy on June 7th 1887 when his wife of two months was taken ill. The couple had just moved from Maisons-Lafitte to Nantes where Arthur was to begin work as trainer to M Gaudin. Little notice was taken of his wife’s illness at first, but finally a doctor was sent for. He discovered she was suffering from blood poisoning. There were no hopes for her recovery and she gradually sank and died.
Two years later, March 1889, at Newington Session House, Arthur was sued for damages for breach of promise. Miss Ellen Constable, sister of the famous jockey, meet Arthur at the Epsom Spring meeting in 1879 and, in September, 1884, they were engaged. Though affectionate letters passed, he cut her off at Epsom on Derby Day, and afterwards married an officer’s daughter. Arthur did not appear in court. The jury assessed the damages at £1,000.
Arthur eventually became a grocer. He died in Austria on November 25, 1909, aged 47.