On Monday morning, April 27 1857, apprentice jockey Jesse Bundy exercised his mount, Alliance, along the gallops of the Bunbury mile at Newmarket. He was accompanied by two others, Ayacanora and Anton. Without warning, Alliance crashed to the ground, throwing Jesse upon the slippery surface. News of the accident quickly spread. Jesse Bundy had been killed on the spot, or so the rumour stated. In fact, by incredible good fortune, two medical gentlemen, Mr Mead and his companion, happened to be on the gallops when the accident occurred and tended the stricken youngster straight away. Though severely shaken, Jesse eventually recovered.
In November of that year, Jesse left trainer Young King's Stockbridge stable to ride for Count Dara at Chantilly. He returned to England in December 1859 and rejoined King. Young King had his own ideas about a jockey's diet favouring a preponderance of bread and cheese over bread and meat. He invariably met every objection with the remark, 'It's all for their own good as it keeps them light.' Born in Whitewall, Yorkshire, straight-talking Jesse, a lightweight rider, pointed out that he couldn't weigh any less than he did already, nor did he want to. As Jesse was then the stable jockey and riding plenty of winners, King was forced to literally beef up Jesse's diet.
Back in France in 1862, Jesse's luck ran out. On Tuesday, May 6, on the training grounds of Chantilly Forest, Count de Morny's three-year-old filly Regina and a colt owned by Baron Daru, which Jesse was schooling, were each leading a string, one galloping up, the other down. A collision was inevitable. Jesse's mount, out in front, took the full force. Jesse's leg was badly shattered. Fellow lightweight Billy Bottom, who had won the 1860 Royal Hunt Cup on Crater, was engaged to ride for the stable until Jesse fully recovered. Chantilly Forest had for some time been considered a dangerous training ground and the French Jockey Club launched an inquiry of which nothing materialised.
Jesse was back in the saddle by 1864, scoring a welcome victory on Aganisia at Longchamp on Sunday, May 8.
In May 1867, Jesse accepted an offer to ride in Russia. We know little of his exploits there but do know he was back in England in 1884 riding work for Kentford trainer Mr Webb.
Jesse Bundy died in June 1897.
