William Balding

William Balding

(1900-1955)

William Balding was born on March 6, 1900, the son of a carter who later rented a farm. He was apprenticed to Bert Lines and had his first ride in 1917. He had two brothers who were also jockeys.

He rode his first winner on La Flotte in a six-furlong apprentices’ handicap at Newmarket on July 19, 1917. He rode a second winner later that same afternoon, partnering Summer’s Hope to win a match in the last race on the card. William rode a total of five winners that year.  

He achieved his biggest win in Britain when riding King Sol to victory in the 1919 Stewards Cup at Goodwood. He finished his apprenticeship in December of that year. In 1920, he won the Liverpool Spring Cup on African Star. 

Although much better known as a Flat jockey, William did have one success over hurdles. This was at Newbury on January 16, 1925 when Mixed Double won the Four-Year-Old Hurdle by two lengths from High Court, the mount of Jack Anthony. Trained by Gilbert Bennett, Mixed Double had won a race at Gatwick just seven days earlier when ridden by David Dick. Despite having nearly a dozen more rides that season, William was unable to add to his score under National Hunt rules.  

He scored his greatest success on Dark Lantern II in the 1928 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (the French 2,000 Guineas). He continued to ride until 1938 and then resumed his career from 1944 until his final season in 1947. 

William Balding died in 1955, aged 55.