National Hunt jockey Bertie Henry John Carter was born on June 19, 1912. He rode a total of 28 winners over jumps between 1931 and 1948. He lost several years of his career due to the Second World War
Bertie was unplaced on his first ride in public, on a horse named Elcho in the Vauxhall Handicap Hurdle at Monmouth on April 1, 1931. However, Elcho would later that year be responsible for Bertie’s first visit to the winner’s enclosure. Starting the 5-4 favourite for the River Selling Handicap Hurdle at Worcester on December 9, 1931, Elcho and Bertie scraped home by a neck. On March 14, 1932 he rode Elcho to win a Colwall Park novice chase, those being his only two wins of the 1931/32 season.
He rode five winners during the 1932/33 campaign, the first being on Elcho in an early season Newton Abbot selling hurdle on August 7, 1932. He then endured a lengthy wait before taking Torquay’s two-day Easter meeting by storm, recording doubles on both days. On Easter Monday, April 17, he won the Tor Abbey Chase on Elective and the Ladies’ Handicap Hurdle on Sheerness. On the Tuesday he landed the Maidencombe Selling Handicap Hurdle on Elcho and was then reunited with Sheerness to add the Torre Handicap to their success the previous day.
Bertie enjoyed his most successful season in 1933/34 with six wins. Two of those came courtesy of Sheerness in selling hurdles at Devon & Exeter in August and Chelmsford in November. Two others were at bank holiday meetings in 1934, aboard Dibson in the St Marychurch Hurdle at Torquay’s Easter fixture and Turkish Maid in the Well Park Novices’ Hurdle at Buckfastleigh’s Whitsun meeting.
He rode a further five winners during the 1934/35 campaign including the Open Selling Handicap Chase on Bluffer at Hawthorn Hill’s Household Brigade meeting in April. He ended the season by winning twice on successive days on Faint Prospect at Buckfastleigh’s Whitsun meeting on 9th and 10th June, landing the Licensed Victuallers’ Selling Handicap Chase on the Monday and the Wallaford Selling Handicap Chase on the Tuesday.
The 1935/36 season brought only one winner, followed by three in 1936/37.
Probably the best horse he rode was Dryburgh, on whom he won the Prince’s Handicap Chase at Sandown on January 23, 1937. He also rode Dryburgh in that year’s Grand National. Sent off as a lively 25-1 shot, Dryburgh was unluckily brought down by a loose horse at Valentine’s second time round when lying fourth of the nine survivors.
Immediately after the war, Bertie became the regular partner of a popular hurdler named Plum Jam, winning on him for the first time at Fontwell Park on March 19, 1947 – Bertie’s sole success of the season – despite putting up 2lb overweight at 10st 8lb.
Plum Jam became a Plumpton specialist and was responsible for all of Bertie’s five wins during the 1947/48 National Hunt season. Together they won four Plumpton handicap hurdles, one each in November and December 1947 and two in January 1948. Then they won the Goodwood Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell on February 11, 1948. That would be their last success together.
The following month, on March 27, 1948, the Saturday of Plumpton’s Easter meeting, Bertie and Plum Jam returned to their favourite venue in search of a fifth course win of the season. It didn’t happen. Instead, Plum Jam fell. The form book does not state whether the fall was fatal but it may well have been. It was certainly serious because Plum Jam never ran again and Bertie never rode in another race.
Afterwards, Plum Jam was commemorated for many years at Plumpton by a race named after him.
Bertie Carter lived to a good age, dying on July 7, 1996, aged 84.
