Henry Huxtable

1848 - 1903

Henry Hanson Huxtable was born in Manchester in 1848. He began riding at 15 and rode his first winner in 1865.

He won his share of good races including the Goodwood Cup, Cambridgeshire, Portland Handicap and Ayr Gold Cup.

He rode successfully in Britain until 1885 when he moved first to Germany and then on to Hungary. He won the Austrian Derby in 1890, for which he was given what was described as a ‘small mansion’ in the Hungarian training centre of Alag, by the grateful owner Prince Festetics.

Henry then took up training and, with his chubby cheeks and round red face, was known as ‘The Bishop’.

He died suddenly of a heart attack in Budapest on March 28, 1903, aged 58, and was buried in the old cemetery in Dunakeszi. His monument was inscribed ‘Gone but not forgotten’. 

His son, Henry Huxtable (1878-1916), was born on August 28, 1878 and followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a jockey. He won the Velka Pardubicka in 1906 on Tigra.

Another son, Robert, was also a jockey. He died in India on July 1, 1920, aged 37.

Biggest wins:

1866 Cambridgeshire – Actaea 

1867 City & Suburban Handicap – Abergeldie

1873 Goodwood Cup – Flageolet

1876 Portland Handicap – Lollypop

1876 Ayr Gold Cup – Coltness 

1877 Goodwood Stakes – Prince George

1882 Liverpool Cup – Goggles