South-west National Hunt jockey William Arthur Courtney Clack – he was known by his third christian name, Courtney – was born in 1878. He began his career as an amateur rider and had his first three rides on the opening day of the annual Totnes meeting, September 5, 1894. He made an inauspicious start when his first mount, Turiddu in the Totnes Open Handicap Hurdle, bolted during the race. He then finished unplaced in the Bridgetown Selling Chase and third of four in the Dart Vale Handicap Chase.
He had three more rides on the second day of the meeting, September 6, two of them on a horse named Skelton. After finishing a tailed off third on him in the Grand South Hams Handicap Chase, they were reunited to win the last race of the day, the Hempstone Vale Handicap Chase, the contest resulting in a close finish in which only a length separated the first three.
Courtney turned professional in October 1896 and enjoyed his most successful year in 1897 with a score of 17 wins.
He rode in three successive Grand Nationals, the first in 1899 on 200-1 outsider Little Norton, who fell. The following year he completed the course ninth of the eleven finishers on 40-1 chance Sister Elizabeth.
He rode what turned out to be his last winner on Chit Chat, who romped home by 20 lengths in the Stewards’ Handicap Chase at Ludlow on March 5, 1901. Three weeks later, Chit Chat became his third and final Grand National mount. Sent off at 25-1, they were amongst that year’s fallers.
Courtney was in Devon on the last day of March and first day of April 1902, riding at Torquay’s two-day Easter meeting. His only mount on the Monday, St. Saen in the Ladies’ Handicap Hurdle, was a faller. He rode in three races on the Tuesday, trailing home last of four finishers on Duchess of Kent in the Torbay and South Devon Handicap Chase and finishing unplaced on Ever Constant in the St Mary-Church Hurdle. His third mount, Chop, started 6-4 favourite for the last race on the card, the five-runner Consolation Chase, confined to horses that had already run at the meeting without winning. However, Chop was among the four fallers, one of whom was remounted to take second place.
Was Courtney Clack injured in that Torquay fall? Was it the fall that terminated his career? The form book doesn’t tell us, but what is certain is that the fall from Chop proved to be his final mount in public. He had ridden a total of 59 winners.
William Arthur Courtney Clack died on December 11, 1911, aged just 33.
