John Hay Brown

John Hay Brown

1909-1986

National Hunt jockey John Hay Brown was born on December 9, 1909 and rode a total of 29 winners under National Hunt rules during the 1930s.  

Prior to starting a career over jumps he was apprenticed to Ernie Piggott and had some rides on the Flat. He won just one race, but in doing so he beat three of the greatest jockeys of the first half of the 20th century. That victory came on the Ernie Piggott-trained five-year-old The Mount in the Hatton Selling Welter Handicap at Warwick on April 8, 1926. The winning margin was two lengths and dead-heating for second place were Harry Wragg on Mister Black and Charlie Smirke on Red Ronald, while Freddie Fox finished unplaced on Paris Flight.

John did not keep the ride on The Mount, nor did he win on the Flat again, despite more than 20 rides that season. Instead, rising weight dictated that his future would lie over jumps.

He made his jumping debut when finishing unplaced on Sir Caradoc in the Woore Chase at that Shropshire course on May 17, 1928. 

Two years elapsed before he rode his first winner under National Hunt rules, that coming on a 5-1 chance named Jack Whitehouse in the Powick Selling Handicap Hurdle at Worcester on May 15, 1930.

He rode five winners in the 1931/32 season including the only double of his career, aboard 7-2 chance Martian in the Buckden Selling Handicap Chase and 6-1 shot March Brown II in the Waterloo Selling Handicap Chase at Huntingdon on Easter Monday, March 28, 1932. 

John twice rode in the Welsh Grand National, finishing unplaced on Duke Of Florence in 1931 and falling on Prince Madoc in 1934. 

He equalled his best score of five wins in 1938/39, the last of those coming on 2-1 favourite Lecco, trained by Charlie Piggott, in the Newent Handicap Hurdle at Colwall Park on April 24, 1939. That would prove to the last of his career. 

World War Two curtailed John’s riding opportunities. He returned to action for a short time after the war but failed to ride another winner. His final mount, Principor, finished last of ten runners in division one of the South Downs Hurdle at Plumpton on September 29, 1947. 

John Hay Brown died on February 15, 1986, aged 76.