Charles Brown

Charles Brown

Article by Alan Trout

Northern-based jockey Charles Brown rode seven winners over jumps between 1928 and 1937. His first success was on Church Parade who beat 16 rivals to take the Mordon Hurdle at Sedgefield on Boxing Day 1928. Ernie Davey, later to become a successful trainer, finished second on Water Toi.

Charles had to wait nearly two years for his next victory, which came at Wetherby on October 21, 1930, when his mount Pommern beat Long Span, ridden by Andrew Glasgow, by a head in the Anstey Juvenile Hurdle. He rode his third winner when The Wrecker beat 20 rivals to land the Sedbury Handicap Hurdle at Catterick Bridge the following month.

An even longer gap ensued before he struck for a fourth time. The winnerless period ended at Manchester on October 30, 1935, when the four-year-old Stainless easily won the Leyland Selling Handicap Hurdle by 10 lengths. 

Komomobo was a two-length winner of the Scuggar Selling Handicap Hurdle at Carlisle on December 7, then Winter Worker gave Charles his third win of the campaign when landing the Broughton Hurdle at Nottingham three days later. 

His last victory came at Cartmel on Whit Monday, May 17, 1937, when Kidside won the Windermere Handicap Hurdle. He rode without further success for two more years and did not renew his licence for the 1939/40 season. 

Charles Brown’s wins were, in chronological order:

1. Church Parade, Sedgefield, December 26, 1928

2. Pommern, Wetherby, October 21, 1930

3. The Wrecker, Catterick Bridge, November 12, 1930

4. Stainless. Manchester, October 30, 1935

5. Komomobo, Carlisle, December 7, 1935

6. Winter Worker, Nottingham, December 10, 1935

7. Kidside, Cartmel, May 17, 1937