Peter Aubertin

Peter Aubertin was brought up in Chipstead, Surrey (at which place his father was Rector) and spent a great deal of his time in the early mornings, when home from Cheltenham for the holidays, riding out for the numerous trainers in the neighbourhood.

Peter's riding caught the eye of one such trainer, Ben Land, at that time in charge of many horses  at Walton Heath. Ben actively encouraged the youngster to ride out his horses, Peter eagerly agreeing.

An adventurer, Peter - in 1865 - joined the 22nd Regiment, then at Malta, from whence  he sailed to Canada. It was here, at a rather salubrious race meeting at Fredericton, New Brunswick,  he won his first race.

Home on leave the following year, he rode his first winner in England - Quicksilver in a Hunters' Stake at Croydon.

His riding career took off in 1869: he won on Danebury at the Wambledon meeting and finished runner-up on Bellhanger  to the renowned George Ede on The Demon in the United Stakes. He won the Southdown Cup two years in succession on Exning and the Sussex Stakes on the same horse.

He was successful on Mermaid and Carlotta and, at Abington, he won the Warren Steeplechase on Plough Lad. Other winning mounts for him were Sidbury and Simon.

In 1880, with his weight ever-increasing, Peter rode for the last time, going out in a blaze of glory by winning on Irish Paddy at Balydoyle.

Colonel Peter Aubertin retired to Weir House in Alresford, Hants., where he spent his hours fishing and shooting. Barbed wire then decorated much of the English hedgerow, which detered him from his favourite pastime, hunting.