Born in 1873, National Hunt jockey Harry Box had his first ride in public at Wolverhampton on October 10, 1893, finishing unplaced on a horse named Reindeer in the Bushbury Hurdle.
He rode his first winner on Plaintiff in the Selling Handicap Chase at Portsmouth Park on February 22, 1894, going on to complete a double that day on Dutch Hoe in the Boxham Maiden Hurdle.
Probably the best horse he rode was Hobnob, on whom he won the Southern Handicap Chase at Lingfield on February 24, 1898, then landed the Liverpool Trial Handicap Chase at Sandown just two days later. He also rode Hobnob, a 40-1 chance, in that year’s Grand National but was among the fallers.
Harry enjoyed his most successful year numerically in 1901 with 14 wins. He went on to ride a total of 62 winners over jumps in Britain, the last of them on Miss Bent in the Newark Selling Handicap Hurdle at Nottingham on January 30, 1911. He rode for the final time later that same year, finishing unplaced on his last ride, Slipshod, in the Craven Selling Hurdle at Southwell on December 4, 1911.
Harry Box died in 1947.
