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Born at Hendon on April 5, 1882.
Died on April 15, 1958, aged 76.
Percy Woodland was the 21-year-old jockey who rode Dumcree to victory in the 1903 Grand National. He was also aboard Covertcoat when that horse won the same race in 1913. Once again, Percy was somewhat fortunate to be the man on top; regular rider Ernie Piggott had broken his hand in a fall and Percy was recruited at the last minute.
Named after the home of his dam in County Westmeath, Dumcree was sold by breeder Mr C Hope to Sir Charles Nugent who then trained the gelding at Cranborne in Dorset. It was intended that Sir Charles's son, Hugh, would ride - however, he was injured shortly before the race and the fortunate Percy was engaged.
Percy, born in 1882, was the son of a Hendon trainer, and had ridden his first winner when just 13 years of age.
He rode uncannily short but had superb balance; this was borne out by the fact that he had the smallest percent of falls of any steeplechase jockey riding.
Percy celebrated his Grand National win by coming out the next day and riding the winners of the Liverpool Hurdle and theChampion Chase.
He was the champion jockey that year with 54 winners.
In May, 1918, Percy was in captivity in Turkey. As a member of the R.N.A.S., he had been flying some 25 miles inland from Alexandretta, in the neighbourhood of Aleppo, on a hydroplane. Flying at a height of 5,000 feet, he suddenly became the object of heavy anti-aircraft fire. His plane was riddled, and his propeller shot away. Bullets tore into his knee; such was the agony that he fell into a merciful unconsciousness.
He should have died, but astonishingly woke up in a Turkish hospital instead. Apart from a fractured knee, his only other injury was a broken collarbone.
Percy Woodland turned to training after he quit the saddle, sending out horses from Grateley. He retired in 1931 and a race, The Percy Woodland Steeplechase, was named after him and first run on August 14 1968 at Fontwell Park.
Percy Woodland's Grand National rides (10)
Model (1900) 10th
True Blue (1901) broke a leg; destroyed
Whitehaven (1902) pulled up
Drumcree (1903) WON
Benvenir (1904) brought down
Napper (1905) 2nd
Jenkinstown (1911) pulled up
Covercoat (1913) WON
Covercoat (1914) pulled up
Charlbury (1919) pulled up.
Percy on Drumcree
Percy winning the 1903 Grand National; on Drumcree
Percy was once involved in a comical situation when riding at Auteil in France in May 1905. He was riding the favourite, Lointaine, in a four-horse race. Two of the other runners, Chocotte and Cremant, fell at the water. Both horses continued riderless. Having been bumped and hustled by the loose horses, Lointaine and Cynique refused at the brook. Percy tried a second time to clear it, but the horse fell, pitching Percy into the water. Percy was unable to continue and another jockey, who had been watching, jumped up onto the horse and galloped off.
Meanwhile, yet another jockey had climbed aboard Cremant and had completed the course. It then struck the jockey that the horse had missed out a couple of jumps and would be disqualified so, possessed of a kindly spirit, he decided to return and act as a leader to Lointaine to get him round the course. This was achieved though the favourite, reluctant and temperamental, refused four more times on route under its new jockey.
Cremant's own new jockey was then struck with the idea of going round the entire course again to win the second money. This he did, but passed the winning post having exceeded the stipulated time. The horse's infuriated trainer then began attacking the jockey who was only saved serious injury by the intervention of the police.
The winning favourite could have been disqualified, for under French racing law, it is forbidden to aid a jockey to get his horse over a jump. However, as Lointaine was the only finisher, there was no other owner to object.
Percy Woodland enjoyed great good fortune in France: he won the French Derby and also the Grand Steeplechase of Paris twice.
Percy died in 1958.
Hugh Nugent, left, who had missed the winning National ride, was killed at the end of 1903 in a hurdle race at Ostend.
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