At one time, Sam Daniels had been Landlord of the Black Bull Tavern tavern in Warwick before becoming a jockey and trainer at Newmarket for a Mr Johnson, who stabled his steeplechasers with him.
On Saturday 5 February 1881, Sam Daniels called at the house of jockey James Manser. They had arranged to visit Water Hall, Chippenham, to watch the horses exercise, and James drove them there in a gig.
Sam suddenly decided to try out the hurdler. Thunderstone. Together, they flew the first flight, but at the second, Sam lost an iron. Approaching the third, Sam became unbalanced with the iron fixed somehow fixed between his legs. He grasped the horse's neck as it jumped the obstacle. Thunderstone cleared it safely, then skidded before falling and rolling in its unfortunate rider.
James, who witnessed the accident, said: 'He was a good horseman. Sam had been a steeplechase jockey all his life, but he had no control over his horse after losing his iron. I and my brother went to him. The horse got up and galloped away. We picked Sam up, who complained that his thigh was broken. We carried him to a cottage and afterwards brought him to our house in the gig. I then sent for Doctor Hutchinson, who had him immediately removed to hospital.'
The lower part of Sam's body had been dreadfully injured by the iron. Under the care of hospital matron Eleanor Rust, Sam lingered a few days before gradually sinking away.
Sam, aged 36, died on Tuesday 15 February, 1881.
The official cause of death was the injuries caused by the iron.
He came from the Midlands and, in 1873, married the widow of Flat jockey Arthur Edwards.