Leo Harland

Born in Darlington on 21 March 1887, John Leo Harland, always known by his second Christian name, rode a total of 51 winners over jumps between 1907 and 1920.

He had his first ride in public on Farmer, who failed to finish in the Portchester Open Chase at Portsmouth Park on November 24, 1906. However, it wasn’t long before he won his first race, landing the Maiden Hurdle at Gatwick on January 3, 1907, by half a length aboard the 10-1 outsider St Cyprian.

Having ridden a healthy 14 winners in 1907, he recorded his most successful year in 1908 with a score of 20, including three in a row on handicap chaser Tigress and three within a month on another handicap chaser, Double Blue. They featured as the last two legs of a treble Leo notched at Plumpton on Saturday, April 18, 1908. Having won the Clayton Selling Handicap Chase on 7-4 favourite Perdicus, he then won the Hastings Handicap Chase on Double Blue and the Preston Handicap Chase on Tigress.

In addition to 1908 being his most successful year, it was also the one in which he had his sole Grand National ride, on 66-1 outsider Alert III, who was among the fallers.

Those annual totals of 1907 and 1908 were the only times Leo managed double-figure scores for the year. He rode just one winner in 1909, none in 1910, eight in 1911 and one in 1912.

It looked as though his career might be over but he resumed after the First World War and managed five winners in 1919. He had what proved to be his final victory on 4-1 chance Irish Cheer, who scraped home by a neck in the Royal Handicap Chase at Windsor on February 24, 1920. Irish Cheer was also Leo’s final ride when finishing sixth two months later in the Cheltenham Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on April 14, 1920.