Born at Farringdon on March 8, 1900, Reginald Anthony Prioleau – more familiarly known as Bill – rode a total of 36 winners under National Hunt rules.
He began as an amateur and made the perfect start to his race-riding career by winning on his first mount, a horse named Black Heart in the Chudleigh Optional Selling Hurdle at Devon & Exeter on August 31, 1922.
In 1923 he rode Valentine VI to win the Newent Selling Handicap Chase at Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting, his sole ‘Festival’ success.
Bill turned professional in March 1924 and recorded his most successful year with a score of 14 winners. Three of those came courtesy of the seven-year-old Hymir, most notably in the Spring Chase at Newbury in February and the Jerry M Chase at Lingfield in March.
He had one ride in the Grand National, in 1925, being unluckily brought down on 66-1 chance Mainsail in a melee at the Canal Turn on the first circuit. He was unlucky again the following day when he finished second, beaten a length and a half, on Darracq in the Champion Chase, his mount swerving on the run-in and handing what looked like certain victory to Bright’s Boy.
He rode his last winner on Greek Runner, the evens favourite, in the Waterloo Open Selling Handicap Chase at Huntingdon on Easter Monday, April 5, 1926. He suffered a bad fall later that year and spent two years recovering.
That fall effectively ended his riding career. However, he did eventually return to the saddle and rode for the final time when finishing eighth of eleven on Ormuzd in the Boxgrove Selling Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell Park on April 25, 1932.
By that time he had commenced training, initially at The Grove, Kingston Lisle, and then at Levant in Sussex, where he held licenses under both rules. He moved back to Kingston Lisle before the war, based at Manor Farm House. During the war he was commissioned in 1941 and won the Military Cross as a Captain in the RASC in 1943.
He resumed training at Manor Farm House after the war but returned to The Grove around 1956, then finally to Fawler Paddock where he remained until his death on January 20, 1980, aged 79. He left £68,686.
Additional information sourced from ‘A Biographical Dictionary of Racehorse Trainers in Berkshire 1850-1939’ by David Boyd, published in 1998.