Sam Darling Sr.

Sam Darling was born at Blockley Upton Wold, Worcestershire and will always be chiefly associated with a wonderful horse by the name of Hesperus (in Greek mythology, the evening star, Venus). He rode Hesperus to 19 victories from 24 races and had a chair made out of its skin.

From 1824 and for the next six seasons, Sam rode him in 86 races winning 34. So great was the fame of horse and jockey that, after winning the Worcester Cup, they were commanded to be specially paraded before the royal carriage, in which sat the Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria.

Hesperus would only give his true running under Sam.

George Calloway - who had won the 1834 St Leger – rode him on one occasion and was heavily backed to win. Hesperus bolted out of the course. The next day Sam rode him, and easily beat the same opponents.

In 1835, Sam and his friend Tom Speed bought a marvellous four-year-old grey gelding called Isaac. The horse ran in a total of 53 races until 1846, winning 38 times. During his twelve year career, Isaac won a variety of races at such places as Oxford, Worcester and Warwick where – a contemporary writer noted – “Darling was King and his throne was old Isaac’s back.”

Sam, who had the odd habit of always keeping one eye shut, rode the winner of the Chester Cup four times. In his best year, 1831, he rode seventy-six winners out of 176 mounts, and that was in the days before there were many railways. He was obliged to ride to meetings on a hack, with a light saddle slung round his back.

In 1833 he rode his only classic winner when Rockingham won the St Leger. He was asked by its winning connections to stay for jollifications that evening in Doncaster, but he refused to do this. Instead, he borrowed a saddle from his fellow jockey Sim Templeman and rode on to Sheffield where his own hack, called Church, was awaiting him. He reached Shrewsbury the next day and he rode four winners.

He gave up riding in 1844 having been estimated to have walked some 5,000 miles over the years in sweaters to reduce his weight.

Sam was a God-fearing man who went to church regularly. He read Lessons and Psalms morning and evening. He always took a long walk before lunch and drove out in his small brougham (a closed four-wheeled carriage with an open driver's seat in front) in the afternoon. When he became ill, his nephew Samuel Henry moved in to look after him, and old Sam would regale a fascinated youngster with tales of the turf.

He was 85 when young Sam bade him a final farewell on September 23, 1881. He left £1,938.

Sam's first winner was Mantidamun in the Gold Cup at Stafford on October 12, 1813.

Sam won the Chester Cup four times: Independence (1831), Colwick (1832), Pickpocket (1833) and Cardinal Puff (1839)

The Family:

Sam was married to Mary: she gave him two sons – Henry born in 1825 and Samuel Jnr, who was born in Oswestry in 1852 and died on 16^th May 1921.

Samuel Jnr. married Violetta (1852-1931) who produced 7 children: Grace, Samuel Henry, Ernest, Frederick, Violetta, Harold and Douglas. Of these, Samuel Henry and Frederick became famous trainers.