The son of William Becher, a Norfolk farmer, Martin William Becher was born on Thursday, 18 May 1797, in the parish of Hillington, some 7km northeast of King's Lynn. 

In 1816, he worked as a temporary clerk in the Storekeeper-general office situated in Great George Street, Westminster. He got on well with his boss, Mr Barker, and, being a first-class mimic, would keep his fellow workers amused with impressions of his boss and others.

On winding up the war accounts in 1818, this department was consolidated with the commissariat in the Treasury, and a great number of the clerks, including Becher, were discharged.

He was not out of work for long. A good judge of horses, he excelled at breaking them in and schooling them over fences, and soon found employment at various local stables.

On Wednesday, April 2nd, 1823, Becher made one of his first appearances in the saddle: riding his own horse, Lark, he finished second to Edgcott in a sweepstakes at the Mostyn Hunt Races, Cottisford Heath. Here he rode as Mr Becher but, having attained an honorary rank of captain in the Duke of Buckingham's yeomanry, rode as Captain Becher thereafter. 

Locally, he continued to ride Lark in sundry hunters' stakes whilst, further afield, he rode the grey mare Chance, plus Julia and others, at Rochester, Guildford and other minor metropolitan meetings.

For all his industry, Martin Becher, then living at Burwood Mews in Leicester, was declared bankrupt in 1829, yet this was the year he first truly entered the public eye when, riding Bantam on March 12th, he won the Great Leicestershire Steeplechase in a stirring finish.

Thomas Coleman, the landlord of the Turf Hotel at St Albans who was also the innovator of the St Albans Chase, run for the first time that year on 15 March, 1830. There were 16 runners: they raced from Harlington Church to the Obelisk in Wrest Park, near Silsoe. Scaffold poles tied with sheets were placed at the start and the finish: the jockeys' only instructions regarding the course were 'leave that church on your right, and the clump on your left, and get to the hill beyond.' Becher, riding Tatler, finished eleventh behind Lord Ranelagh's Wonder.

On Monday 1st March the following year, having heard about the excitement of the first, a huge crowd assembled to watch the renewal: carriages and horsemen poured into the town in such numbers that the outskirts were blocked.

Tommy Coleman, dressed in a blue coat and kersey breeches, officiated. At his bugle call, the riders saddled up in the paddock of his inn, The Chequers. At a given signal, they came out, three deep, and the race was on.

Becher was riding Wild Boar and looked sure to win when the horse staggered and fell close to home. So severely was it injured that he died the next day in Tommy Coleman's stables. Becher emerged unscathed from physical injury, but not from a storm of criticism from the press who thought he, because of the muddy conditions, should have pulled the horse up earlier when it was evidently struggling. It was also stated that the horse was so unfit it should never have been allowed to run in the first place. Becher responded, pointing out that he had tried Wild Boar out in a field before starting and had found the horse to be in good condition. He'd told its connections that he had a good chance of winning. At a later post-mortem, it was discovered that Wild Boar had burst a blood vessel at some point during the race; upwards of a gallon of blood had congealed around its kidneys, similar to the case of Epsom Derby winner Sailor, which died in the same way after a severe trial at Newmarket in 1820.

The race had been won by Moonraker, which beat a field of eleven and which had been brought for £18 when the horse's legs had grown too stiff to pull more water carts.

Captain Becher and his father spent that evening at the packed Turf Hotel where, because of the occasion, the demand for beds far exceeded the supply. They had not long retired to a double bedroom when they were aroused by a furious knocking at the door.

'Sir' called an angry voice, 'you have my bedroom and I insist that you vacate it at once,'

'I will not move out of this bed tonight,' replied Becher.

'Then you are no Gentleman, and I shall insist upon satisfaction in the morning.'

'Alright' said the tired jockey, who then went back to sleep.

 When Becher arose the next morning, he had quite forgotten about his midnight visitor until a red-faced little man demanded to know what Becher had to say for himself.

The Captain replied that he was ready to give the stranger satisfaction: the red-faced man immediately left in search of a second and ran into Tommy Coleman.

Coleman told him not to take on the Captain saying 'you're a dead man if you do. He's already killed three men in duels and last night threw two men out of the window who tried to beat him to the bedroom.'

The stranger immediately left the hotel, never to be seen again, and it was not until later that Tommy realised that he hadn't paid his bill. 

Captain Becher was to win  the St Albany Steeplechase twice; on Agnes (formerly known as Norma) on 5 March, 1835 and the ill-fated grey mare Grimaldi in 1836. 

Second favourite at 5-1, Agnes actually fell some five fields from home, but was quickly remounted by the tenacious captain who quickly recovered the lost ground. Taking up the running at the penultimate jump, Agnes ran on to beat Parasol by four lengths. An objection was immediately lodged against Captain Becher's mount and several others, complaining that the had all gone the wrong side of one of the flags. The dispute went on foe sometime before the result was allowed to stand.

In 1836, Becher, having won on Grimaldi, once again came in for heavy criticism, which accused him of 'riding the animal to death'. Grimaldi won by three lengths but 'had no sooner crossed the line than he reared up, fought the air for a moment, and dropped dead'. As Becher brought his weight back to the scales, an objection was made to Grimaldi's owner, Mr Elmore, receiving the prize money as Grimaldi did not return to the post (as horses were then required to do).  Well-versed in the rules of racing, Becher pointed out that if a rider is disabled by an accident which prevents him from riding back, he may be carried to the scales. The objection was overruled. 

Earlier in his career, on April 4, 1834, Becher won the Northamptonshire Steeplechase on the rat-tailed Vivian, a horse which had originally belonged to Lord Vivian - hence its name - and passed on to Captain Lamb. Becher had come up from Market Harbro' to ride Vanguard in the race; at the last moment, he was persuaded to switch to Vivian, for which he was obliged to borrow a saddle in order to draw the correct weight. Newspaper reports of the day stated that some 'five hundred gentlemen fron three hunts gathered to watch the finish'. They saw Becher beat Vanguard by a comfortable four lengths, leaving Cannon Ball - whose rider, Squire Osbaldeston, had claimed it certain to win - toiling behind.

Matches - one horse against another - were very popular in the early days of racing. There was a famous match run in 1833 between Colonel Carritic's Napoleon - a slow, half-bred horse, but a magnificent jumper - and Squire Osbaldeston's Grimaldi. The stakes were £1,000 a side. The distance to race was six miles over stiff country, plus they had to swim across the river Lem.

Captain Becher rode Napoleon, Osbaldeston rode his own horse. The Squire was not a good swimmer - Becher was.

 In the race, they reached the River Lem together: both entered headlong and disappeared. So long were they under that many spectators thought Napoleon was drowned, but suddenly Becher's cap was seen, then the horse's ears and the two floated downstream. Becher managed to get the horse back on shore but was now 100 yards behind the Squire.

A tremendous battle ensued but the Squire, who just prevailed, may have gone the wrong side of a flag. It was an unsatisfactory result and the bet was cancelled. The two remained friends: indeed, later that day they went out hunting together and took another ducking in the Lem.

A month later, Becher rode a  match on Vivian against the Marquis of Waterford on Cock Robin. So well did Cock Robin fence that at one stage he was some 300 yards clear yet, again, after another desperately close finish, Becher narrowly won.

The Marquis was bitter in defeat, saying that he was beaten by a better horse, not by a better jockey.

'Very well,' said Becher. 'We'll swop horses and race the whole distance back.'

The Marquis declined.

The inaugural running of the Aylesbury Steeplechase which took place on Wednesday 12 November, 1834. Run over a four and a half mile course from Waddesdon Windmill to St Mary's Church in Aylesbury, it attracted fifteen runners including Vivian, on which Captain Becher wore the dark blue jacket and orange cap of its owner, Captain Lamb, who had put up a silver cup of fifty guineas as a prize to the winner.

A formidable course had been set out, comprising several doubles and tall bullfinchers, ox fences with post and rails, a large brook and one small, overgrown area of trees and bushes. The runners were also required to cross the River Thame, some twenty-eight feet wide. It was here that most of the runners came to grief, including Lancet, the mount of the Marquess of Waterford. The horse was dragged ashore after struggling for some time. It died, a few day's later, in the White Hart stable from the injuries it received whilst being pulled out. Captain Becher had better luck on Vivian. Reaching the other side, he jumped off, pulled the horse to safety, remounted and set off in hot pursuit of the few remaining runners. Catching Lauretina at the final jump, Vivian went on for a gruelling victory, enabling Captain Lamb to win the cup he had presented as first prize.

Captain Becher and Vivian returned to the course on February 9 1836 to contest the Heavyweight Steeplechase against twelve others. The race, which started at 11 a.m., was marred by several heavy falls including that of Rochelle which, after looking all over the winner when jumping a fence into a lane, swerved violently into a tree, breaking the knee of its rider, Mr Billy Bean. It was a career-ending injury for the unfortunate rider, who never rode again. Becher attempted to make all on Vivian which put in a hesitant jumping performance to be beaten three lengths by Saladin, the mount of Mr G. Patrick. Yellow Dwarf (Lord Waterford) was third with Redman (Bradley) fourth.

The first-ever Grand National took place on Monday, February 29, on Monday, February 29, 1836. 

Though most published books and articles give 1839 as its year of inception, it was the race ran on Monday, February 29 1836 and won by Captain Becher on The Duke which was the first-ever Grand National. 

Shortly after one o'clock beneath brilliant skies, the field of ten set off over the five-mile course, headed by the 5-2 favourite, Laurie Todd, the mount of Mr Powell. Captain Becher and The Duke took up the running as the runners headed out on the second circuit. With the finishing post in sight, Laurie Todd fell. Mr Powell scrambled to his feet to remount by was knocked to the ground by Mr Bretherton and Cock-a Hoop who crashed into him. This left the race between The Duke and Polyanthus, ridden by Mr Wilmot. They jumped the last together; inevitably, the superior jockeyship of Captain Becher - a professional rider in all bar name - made the difference, The Duke  winning by just over a length.

In the 1839 running of the race, Captain Becher was aboard the 20-1 shot, Conrad. At the first brook, Conrad baulked, sending Becher over its head and into the water. Becher remounted once the field had passed, and set off in vain pursuit, only to be receive a second soaking at the next brook. This time there was no coming back, but history had been made. To this day, the first brook is known as Becher's.

In 1837, he won at Bath on Fieschi and at Dunchurch on Vivian.

Captain Becher, tremendously popular with the ladies, had a ruddy, weather-beaten face adorned with thick, side whiskers. He possessed a short, thick frame and was by no means an elegant horseman but he had fine hands and great courage.

He was a most agreeable companion, full of rare stories of earlier times and the men who lived in it. He was also a first-class singer and could belt out 'A Bumper Burgundy', a popular song of the day.

He was hale and hearty to the last, his closing years spent in affluence and comfort, surrounded by a host of staunch friends.

After a brief illness, Captain Becher died on 11th October 1864. He was 67.

Becher, who married twice, was the son of William Becher and Harriet Martina Thompson. He married Susan Dobree on 14 August 1825 at St. Marylebone, London, and they had two sons, Martin John King Becher and Dr. George Tobin Dashwood Becher.

 His biggest wins include:

1834:  Aylesbury Steeplechase  - Vivian

1834:  Buckinghamshire Steeplechase - Vivian

1835:  St Albans Steeplechase - Agnes

1836: Waltham Abbey Steeplechase - Grimaldi

1836:  St Albans Steeplechase - Grimaldi

1837:  Cheltenham Steeplechase - Vivian

1837:  Leamington Steeplechase - Vivian