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1844-1917
Red-haired Johnny Page was born at Bannister's Farm, near Shirley, in Warwickshire on March 24, 1844: it was here that he spent the first ten years of his life before his family moved to Birmingham to run a livery stable.His father, Joseph, later ran the Bull's Head on the Stratford Road. The Hall Green steeplechases were held on his land.
Johnny went to Meriden Street School, then a branch of King Edward's Foundation.
Aged 11, in 1855, Johnny - able to read and write - left school.
His ambition was to be a jockey and he started riding his father's ponies in pony racing. He gained his first win on Pretty Boy at Sparkbrook, Birmingham on September 8, 1856. He was twelve.
He then began riding his father's hunters and, late in 1856, won a Scurry race on Pat Manely at Inkford Brook (which stands some eight miles from Birmingham). Johnny won the catch-weight race, run over four miles, by a length from the experienced jockey Mr C Parker.
His father then got him an apprenticeship at East Ilsley with Joseph Dawson.
Johnny rode his first winner for Dawson on Madame Moet, at Liverpool on November 11, 1858. Two years later he won the Northumberland Plate on First Lord. He also rode a cracking two-year-old, Tom Fool, in all its races.
Because of increasing weight, he ceased riding in 1862 and, taking up a farm some 12 miles from Birmingham, intended to become a farmer.
He gave up after a year and took to the saddle again, this time as a NH jockey.
He rode his first jumps winner, Telegram, at Sutton Coldfield on February 15, 1864. He won his second race on the same horse the very next day.
Soon after, he gained his first win in France (on Pineapple).
He had his first ride in the Grand National in 1865 riding Joe Maley. He had a total of eleven rides in the race: he won it twice - Cortolvin in 1867 and Casse Tete (1872).
In France, he won the Grand Steeplechase de Paris twice - La Viene in 1875 and Wild Monarch (1878).
When jockey Harry Lamplugh was killed in a race fall in 1868, Johnny took over his stable in France and began training for the Duke of Hamilton.Â
He bought Conway Cottage in Chantilly and married his first wife.
He retired in in 1880 and took over the Grove Farm at Hall Green. He then moved to Wylde Green to run the Wylde Green Hotel.
He then finally retired to Shirley in about 1907 and it was here that, aged 73, he died on June 7, 1917, some three years after the death of his second wife.
He was buried in the family grave at Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, along with his wife and eldest son John who died, aged 17, of a fractured skull on September 5, 1890, following a fall on the Newmarket gallops the day before.
Johnny had three other sons; Thomas, Edward & Richard.
Article by Chas Hammond
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