John Archer

1861 - 1945

Northern-based National Hunt jockey John (Jack) Archer – no relation to the famous Archer family – rode a total of 37 winners during the last decade of the 19th and first decade of the 20th centuries.

He registered his first success on a horse named Midas in the Selling Steeplechase at Rothbury’s ‘County of Northumberland’ meeting (as Rothbury was then known) on April 21, 1898. In 1899 he year he achieved a career-best score of eight wins in a calendar year.

John enjoyed by far his biggest moment in the saddle when winning the 1901 Scottish Grand National on 9-4 favourite Big Busbie. He finished second in the Scottish Grand Nationals of 1903 and 1905 on The Watcher.

He rode his last winner on John Dandy in the Black Hill Hurdle at Hexham on October 18, 1905. His final ride was at Bogside on April 5, 1906, finishing unplaced (not in the first six of ten) aboard Ashton in the Stand Handicap Hurdle. 

Born circa 1861, John Archer died at Hexham on March 19, 1945, aged 83.