Joseph Plant

1879 - 1966

Joe Plant (left) seen on War Dance at Newmarket's Houghton Meeting in October 1910. This was his first ride back from serious injury suffered at Kempton Park when his mount Blackstone fell and rolled directly over him. The injuries were severe, and contemporary accounts (such as those in Paddock Personalities) note that for a long time, "his life was in the balance." It was widely feared that he would not survive, or at the very least, would never ride again.

Against the odds, Joe made a full recovery. While the accident occurred in the same year he had reached a career peak—having won the Lincoln Handicap on Cinderello earlier in 1910—he was eventually able to return to the saddle.

He was famously nicknamed "Hackenschmidt" (after the legendary wrestler Georges Hackenschmidt) because of his surprisingly strong, muscular build for a jockey.