Joe Childs

Childs was born in Chantilly, France, on May 6, 1884. He had four brothers – Albert, Arthur, Charles and Henry – each of whom became a jockey. Of the four, Charles was probably the best – he won a wartime substitute St Leger on Hurry On in 1916. 

Horseracing was in the family’s blood – the boys’ father (John) had ridden with great success in France whilst their grandfather (Joseph) was head lad to Peter Price’s Newmarket stable. 

Joe Childs - a tall, sinewy character with distinctive, heavy eyebrows - was a man of gloomy appearance who was quick to take – and give – offence. His inclination to argue with stewards, owners and trainers – and anyone else he disagreed with – made him an unpopular and formidable figure.

Joe Childs came to England as an apprentice to Thomas Jennings Jnr. at Phantom House, Newmarket. He rode his first winner on Lady Alicia at Lincoln on June 22, 1900.  

Jennings – a reserved man with few personal friends – had himself been born at Chantilly and knew the family well. Childs made his racecourse debut on the 3-y-o Nikki in an Apprentice Plate at Goodwood on 28th July 1899. He was beaten by a neck.

His career took off in 1901 when, among 59 winners, he rode the 4/1 favourite Stealaway to win the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot by the narrowest of margins. 

By the end of the season he had lost his allowance: consequently, the rides began to dry up and, though he took two major races the following year – the Great Metropolitan (Congratulations) and the Goodwood Cup (Perseus) – he found it difficult to maintain his progress.

In 1903, Thomas Jennings arranged for him to return to France to ride for the hard-to-please and volatile M.Maurice Caillault. Given Childs’ own suspect temperament, this arrangement had clearly not been thought through and the two men were soon at loggerheads. Childs left almost immediately and, after an unsuccessful period in Italy returned to France where again found his opportunities limited. He returned to England but only had one ride in 1906.

Joe Childs’ luck finally changed in 1908. Having returned to France for a third time, he was asked to replace George Bellhouse when that jockey fell ill. Childs seized the opportunity and by the end of the season he had ridden 75 winners, a total he increased to 90 the following season. 

Unfortunately, his weight began shooting up and he went to Germany where there were greater opportunities for heavier jockeys. It was here, riding for the Weinberg brothers that he met their trainer, Fred Darling, for whom he would ride with great success in England some years later.

As war approached, Childs - leaving all his possessions behind - took the last train out of Chantilly before the Germans arrived. Back in England Childs eventually joined the 4th Hussars and obtained frequent leave to ride in big races. He won the 1916 Derby and Oaks and also the Triple Crown two years later. In 1918 he gave all his riding fees to regimental funds as appreciation for the generous leave allowed to him. 

After the war he found himself back in favour and enjoyed his best riding years. Before 1927 he had ridden the winners of ten Classics.

In 1925 he began a fruitful ten years with trainer William Rose Jarvis and became first jockey to King George V. Jarvis was one of the few people with whom Childs actually got on with, and they remained on the best of terms until Childs retired in 1935.

An ardent royalist, Childs would send his valet out for champagne whenever he won for the King so that he might toast the man he referred to as ‘My Governor’. The King would reciprocate. After Childs had won the 1929 1,000 Guineas in the royal colours he presented the jockey with a fine cane which became Childs’ most treasured possession. On 17th December 1935 the King invited him to an audience at Buckingham Palace.

35 years had passed since Childs had ridden his first winner on Lincoln’s Carholme racecourse: his last winner had come at Derby on Lord Harewood’s Kidderminster on 13th November 1935. He never became champion jockey – he was too set in his ways: he had an aversion to making the running, always preferring to ride a waiting race, even on natural front-runners. He was caught out once when Coronach exploded out of the gate at the start of the 1926 Derby to make every yard of the running on heavy going and win easily. Childs later admitted that the horse had run away with him.

Childs had been, in fact, extremely fortunate that afternoon – a small mongrel dog had dashed onto the course, barking furiously. It missed the hooves of Child’s mount, but came close to Colorado who swerved violently. The dog then sprang at several other horses before running back into the crowd. The bookmakers were happy; the mongrel had saved them a two million payout on the heavily-backed Colorado.

Coronach became the first English Derby winner to be sent to New Zealand. The photo (left) shows him arriving in Auckland to take up stud duties.

Towards the end of 1935, Childs became a Stable Employee of trainer Herbert (Sandy) Braime at Westcourt House, Burbage, Wiltshire. (Herbert, who had sent out the 1920 Oaks winner, died that same year and his son Lewis (Tod) Braime took over.)

Childs then moved down to Portsmouth where he spent his remaining years. He took a controlling interest in the local greyhound track. He also bought a small stud in Nazeing, Essex from where he and his friend George Digby, the Essex trainer, ran a few horses.

He was 73 when he died on 5th Feb 1958 at The Chestnuts, Horndean Road, Emsworth, Hampshire. Joe left effects of £21,687 1s. to retired trainee Arthur John Childs and fellow jockey Fred Lane.

Hurry On was almost certainly the best horse to run in England during WW1. However, he possessed a lively temperament and had unseated Joe Childs on successive mornings on the gallops. Hence, his brother Charles was offered the ride in the St Leger.

Having won the 1919 Oaks on Bayuda, Childs then finished third on the colt at Doncaster. Lord Astor’s manager was extremely critical of the way the horse had been ridden: a heated exchange followed and Childs never again rode for Lord Astor.

Joe Childs was succeeded as first jockey to King George V by John Crouch who, after serving his apprentiship with Stanley Wooton, stood on the threshold of a highly promising career. John Crouch was killed in a flying accident in June, 1939.

Childs married 14-year-old Emily Lavis in 1902. She died in 1914. They had one son, Joseph, who was born in Suffolk in 1902. He died aged 14.

Joe Childs' classic wins:

Two Thousand Guineas: Gainsborough (1918) and Cameronian (1931)

One Thousand Guineas: Scuttle (1928)and Brown Betty (1933)

The Derby: Fifinella (1916), Gainsborough (1918) and Coronach (1926)

The Oaks: Mirska (1912), Fifinella (1916), Bayuda (1919) and Love In Idleness (1921)

St Leger: Gainsborough (1918), Polemarch (1921), Solario (1925) and Coronach (1926)

His other big wins included:

Ascot Gold Cup: Gainsborough (1918), Solario (1926) & Trimdon (1931 & 1932)

Eclipse Stakes: Buchan (1919), Coronach (1926), Royal Minstrel (1929) & Loaningdale (1933)

Ebor Handicap: Cinq-a-Sept (1928) & Alcazar (1934)

Royal Hunt Cup: Stealaway (1901)

Champion Stakes: Warden of the Marshes (1926)

Coronation Cup: Manilardo (1920), Solario (1926), Coronach (1927) & Reigh Count (1929)

Grand Prix de Paris: Northeast (1908) & Leomonora (1921)

French Derby: Sourbier (1920)

Goodwood Cup: Perseus (1902) & Triumph (1923)

July Cup: Torioisk (1916), Golden Corn (1923) & Golden Oracle (1928)

Nunthorpe Stakes: Highborn II (1926 & 1927)

Sussex Stakes: The Abbot (1933)