Owen Church
Article by Alan Trout
Owen Church had a few rides on the Flat in 1914 and 1915 but made little impact. He was apprenticed to William Walters Jnr, who trained at Newmarket. It was, therefore, a short journey for Owen to make for his first ride in public, when his mount Stetchworth Belle, the 10-1 outsider, finished last of five runners in the Visitors’ Apprentice Plate on September 29, 1914. The winner was the favourite, Martinet, ridden by Anthony Barrett.
Owen was in action on the opening day of the 1915 season when riding L’Avenir in the Brocklesby Trial Stakes at Lincoln on March 22, finishing unplaced in a race won by Walter Griggs on Roi de Coeur.
Less than six weeks later, Owen’s career was over, with his last ride, Miss Olga, finishing down the field in the Apprentices’ Handicap at Newmarket on April 27. Nenuphar, owned by Lord Rosebery and Vivian Walmsley, was the two-length winner.
Several of the jockeys who rode in that apprentice race went on to have fairly successful careers, and so did the rider of the unplaced Eliza, although not in the world of horseracing. It was none other than George Formby, who was having just his second ride in public.
