Robinson Fearon

Robinson Fearon

Article by Alan Trout

Born in 1880, Northern National Hunt jockey Robinson Graham Fearon rode six winners between 1909 and 1912, then came back a decade later to add three more. 

He had just one success in 1909 when dead-heating for first place in the Eden Maiden Hurdle at Carlisle. His mount, the evens favourite Bobberino, trained by leading northern amateur rider Adam Scott, and The Tzar, ridden by Fred Norris, could not be separated at the line. Robinson had finished second on Bobberino at Kelso ten days earlier but had been disqualified for missing a flag and reprimanded for continuing in the race. 

He did not keep the ride after that initial success and had to wait nearly two years for his second winner, which was also gained at Carlisle, when Varsity won the Lonsdale Handicap Chase by four lengths on Easter Monday 1911. 

The pair showed that victory was no fluke by scoring twice more that year, first at Clifton Park (Blackpool) in the Preston Handicap Chase in September, and then at Hexham in October in the Dotland Handicap Chase. Admittedly, there were only two rivals in the Blackpool race and the Hexham contest was a match, but three wins were more than many jockeys achieved that year. 

Varsity and Robinson’s good fortune continued in 1912, for at Carlisle on Easter Monday they walked over to take the Lonsdale Handicap Chase for the second time. What would turn out to be his final victory before the First World War came four days later in a match for the two-mile Tenant Farmers’ Chase at the Dumfriesshire Hunt meeting, his mount, Blaze III, coming home alone, with sole rival, Queen’s Page, having fallen. 

He did not renew his licence after 1912 but returned with a strong, albeit brief, comeback in 1922, although fortune was on his side for his first success. At Kelso on April 22, he finished second on Sirup in the Roxburgh Handicap Chase, but the winner, Rifle Grenade, who had prevailed by a neck, was disqualified for carrying the incorrect weight. Sirup was owned by Adam Scott, who had provided Robinson with his first win 13 years earlier. Horse and rider followed up by landing the Northumberland Handicap Chase at Hexham on May 3 by half a length.  

Mr Scott also owned Command, who was Robinson’s final winner when just repelling My Royal, the mount of George Goswell, by a short head in the Greenridge Handicap Chase at Hexham on Whit Monday, June 3. Despite having ridden three ‘comeback’ winners within the space of six weeks, he did not renew his licence the following season.   

Robinson Fearon’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. Bobberino, Carlisle, April 29, 1909 (dead-heat)

2. Varsity, Carlisle, April 17, 1911

3. Varsity, Clifton Park (Blackpool), September 1, 1911

4. Varsity, Hexham, October 11, 1911

5. Varsity, Carlisle, April 8, 1912 (walkover)

6. Blaze III, Dumfriesshire Hunt, April 12, 1912

7. Sirup, Kelso, April 22, 1922

8. Sirup, Hexham, May 3, 1922

9. Command, Hexham, June 3, 1922