Peter Davenport
Amateur rider Peter Jonathan Davenport rode eight winners under National Hunt rules between 1964 and 1967, all of them in hunter chases. He hunted with the Radnor & West Herefordshire Foxhounds. His racing colours were: silver grey, maroon crossbelts and sleeves, silver grey cap.
Amateur rider Peter Jonathan Davenport rode eight winners under National Hunt rules between 1964 and 1967, all of them in hunter chases. He hunted with the Radnor & West Herefordshire Foxhounds. His racing colours were: silver grey, maroon crossbelts and sleeves, silver grey cap.
Before tasting success under NH rules, Peter won the coveted Lady Dudley Cup, the Cheltenham Gold Cup of point-to-pointing, at the age of 25 in 1962 aboard Pomme de Guerre, scoring by a length and a half and equalling the Upton-on-Severn course record of 6 minutes and 36 seconds in the process.
Before tasting success under NH rules, Peter won the coveted Lady Dudley Cup, the Cheltenham Gold Cup of point-to-pointing, at the age of 25 in 1962 aboard Pomme de Guerre, scoring by a length and a half and equalling the Upton-on-Severn course record of 6 minutes and 36 seconds in the process.
Pomme de Guerre was winning his fourth race in a row and would provide Peter with further success in point-to-points and in hunter chases. Pomme de Guerre carried his head low and was a true and consistent stayer. He ran in the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ Challenge Cup Chase five years running and never finished worse than sixth. He and Peter were perhaps unlucky not to win it when second in 1964 because that year they bumped into Freddie, who turned out to be much better than a mere hunter chaser.
Pomme de Guerre was winning his fourth race in a row and would provide Peter with further success in point-to-points and in hunter chases. Pomme de Guerre carried his head low and was a true and consistent stayer. He ran in the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ Challenge Cup Chase five years running and never finished worse than sixth. He and Peter were perhaps unlucky not to win it when second in 1964 because that year they bumped into Freddie, who turned out to be much better than a mere hunter chaser.
Three weeks later, having put that disappointment behind them, Pomme de Guerre provided Peter with his first victory under NH rules when the Lutwyche Hunters’ Challenge Cup Chase at Hereford on Easter Monday, March 30, 1964.
Three weeks later, having put that disappointment behind them, Pomme de Guerre provided Peter with his first victory under NH rules when the Lutwyche Hunters’ Challenge Cup Chase at Hereford on Easter Monday, March 30, 1964.
He won three more hunter chases on Pomme De Guerre in 1965 and finished fourth in that year’s Cheltenham Foxhunters. They came sixth in the 1966 Cheltenham Foxhunters but managed to win a Stratford hunter chase in May. Peter also owned, trained and rode another useful hunter chaser named Silver Fortune, on whom he won at Hereford and Worcester in March 1966.
He won three more hunter chases on Pomme De Guerre in 1965 and finished fourth in that year’s Cheltenham Foxhunters. They came sixth in the 1966 Cheltenham Foxhunters but managed to win a Stratford hunter chase in May. Peter also owned, trained and rode another useful hunter chaser named Silver Fortune, on whom he won at Hereford and Worcester in March 1966.
In 1967, Peter and Pomme de Guerre won again at Stratford and finished fourth in the Cheltenham Foxhunters. By 1968, Pomme de Guerre was 13-years old and not quite the force of old. He did well to finish second to the top-class hunter chaser Battle Royal II at Ludlow in March but that proved to be his last appearance under NH rules as Peter sensibly retired him soon after.
In 1967, Peter and Pomme de Guerre won again at Stratford and finished fourth in the Cheltenham Foxhunters. By 1968, Pomme de Guerre was 13-years old and not quite the force of old. He did well to finish second to the top-class hunter chaser Battle Royal II at Ludlow in March but that proved to be his last appearance under NH rules as Peter sensibly retired him soon after.
Peter Davenport’s winners under National Hunt rules were, in chronological order:
Peter Davenport’s winners under National Hunt rules were, in chronological order:
1. Pomme de Guerre, Hereford, March 30, 1964
1. Pomme de Guerre, Hereford, March 30, 1964
2. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, March 18, 1965
2. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, March 18, 1965
3. Pomme de Guerre, Worcester, April 14, 1965
3. Pomme de Guerre, Worcester, April 14, 1965
4. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, May 13, 1965
4. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, May 13, 1965
5. Silver Fortune, Hereford, March 12, 1966
5. Silver Fortune, Hereford, March 12, 1966
6. Silver Fortune, Worcester, March 26,1966
6. Silver Fortune, Worcester, March 26,1966
7. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, May 13, 1966
7. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, May 13, 1966
8. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, February 18, 1967
8. Pomme de Guerre, Stratford-on-Avon, February 18, 1967
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