George Clement

George Argyle Clement was born in Pimlico in 1829,  and - originally a butcher's apprentice - he attracted the eye of Tom Parr and Joe Saxon whilst riding on his rounds.

He had the distinction of riding Caurire to victory in the inaugural Lincoln Handicap of 1853. Caurire was a doubtfully bred chestnut son of David or Arthur, out of the dam of Carrouch. 

Starting at 8-1, George beat the favourite, the John Wells-ridden Harp, by just a head with Odiham a length away in third. This was George's first winning ride.

He was to win the race again on Bel Esperante in 1859. 

An achievement he was always proud of was when, at the inaugural meeting at Alexandra Park, he beat the hot favourite Knight of the Garter on Orion for the Gold Cup. Knight of the Garter was ridden by top jockey Henry Custance. Later that week, George rode Orion to another victory in the Worcestershire Stakes, beating the Sam Kenyon-ridden Wild Briar by an ever-diminishing neck.

He also won the 1855 Ascot Stakes for his old mentor Tom Parr on Mortimer and, in the same year, the Newmarket Handicap on Hercules for Tom Stevens.

In 1863  he won the Queen's Vase at Ascot on Adventurer and, later that season, took the Great Northern Handicap on the same horse.

Another great win came in 1876 when taking the Northamptonshire Stakes on Prodigal. This was his last winning ride.

He had made his racing debut in May, 1852. In 1870 he rode 31 winners on the flat and 1 over hurdles.

He began to train in 1865 whilst still riding.

The best horses he trained were Rosebery (the first horse to win both the Cambridgeshire and the Cesarewitch in the same year), Goldseeker (winner of the 1889 City & Suburban) and Tyrant.

To disguise the fact that Rosebery had made rapid improvement before the autumn double, George - noticing that strangers were taken a more than usual interest in the horse's training routines - got a stable lad to ride him down to the post office to collect the mail. The tout then contacted his employer's saying that the horse was 'no good. They only use it to get the post.' 

Goldseeker was ridden by Tom Cannon and led at Epsom from start to finish. Tyrant proved a terrific five-year-old in 1890, winning the Chester Cup, Great Cheshire Handicap, Great Northern Handicap at York, Doncaster Spring Handicap, Ascot Gold Vase and The Doncaster Cup.

George retired from training in 1902 spent his last years at Eastmanton Farm at Sparsholt near Wantage. Over the fireplace at his home in Sparsholt hung an oil painting of Rosebery presented to George by the owner, Mr James Smith, to commemorate the great autumn double of 1876. In the painting, James Smith and George are depicted standing at the head of Rosebery with Henry Constable, the rider in the second event, wearing a black and straw cap, in the saddle.

James Smith, born on May 22, 1825, dropped dead at his home in Tooting at four-thirty on the afternoon of Sunday, 10 July, 1910. He had been ailing for some time.

After a long illness, George died at Eastmanton Farm on Wednesday, November 7, 1917, and is buried at Childrey. He left £4,575.

Three sons followed him into racing, all becoming trainers.