Renfield Jenkins

Renfield Jenkins

Born in 1914, Welshman Renfield Jenkins rode a couple of winners over jumps in the mid-1950s. However, he may best be remembered as one of the hapless (and most regular) partners of Elsich, possibly the worst horse to run under National Hunt rules in the post-war era. Renfield rode Elsich in the last thirteen races of the horse’s calamitous career before he was banned from running.

Foaled in 1936 out of an unregistered mare by the unheard-of stallion Services Rendered, Elsich was born in obscurity, which was precisely where he belonged, except that his owner-trainer, Charles Edwards, had far greater aspirations. 

Following the resumption of jump racing in Britain at the start of 1945, Edwards lost no time pitching Elsich in at the deep end. He made his debut in a handicap chase at Cheltenham, carrying automatic top-wight of 12st 7lb. He fell, but Edwards felt the experience had done him no harm and turned him out again 90 minutes later, resulting in another fall. 

Despite having so far failed to complete the course, Edwards entered Elsich in the 1945 Gold Cup. Frank Wren took the ride but did not get far, as Elsich ran out at the second fence. He ran in the race the following year, partnered by Billy Balfe, who managed to get as far as the water on the second circuit before falling.

Edwards also entered Elsich in that year’s Grand National, the horse having qualified when finishing a tailed-off last of three in a three-mile chase at Worcester. Bookmakers offered 250-1 about him getting round – there was even a petition to stop him running. Nevertheless, he duly took his hopeless chance, with Balfe aboard, and fell at the first fence. 

Various jockeys had short-lived associations with Elsich during the 1946/47 campaign, during which he ran no less than 27 times. They included Robert Vergette, Raymond Tillson, Tommy Shone, James Conlon and Tommy Cross, but he managed to foil them all at some point, either through falling or running out. 

Anxious to secure rides of any kind, irrespective of ability, to help further his career, Renfield Jenkins had his first experience of Elsich at Hereford on Easter Monday 1947 and, to the surprise of many, succeeded in getting him round, completing the course a distant last of four finishers in the Coronation Handicap Chase. 

Renfield kept the mount next time out when Elsich made an audacious third bid for Gold Cup glory, the race having been postponed to Saturday, April 12, after a combination of snow and frost had claimed Cheltenham’s National Hunt meeting in March. This time Elsich got only as far as the third fence before Renfield pulled him up, self-preservation being his main concern. He ran there again three days later, this time getting to halfway before Renfield called it quits. He then turned out at Ludlow the very next day and trundled round in his own time, at least completing the course.

He rode Elsich in several more races between April 19 and June 14, 1947. The highlight was when finishing third of four finishers at Woore, beaten only a total of 16 lengths. Thereafter, however, his performances got gradually worse, pulling up at Newport then falling in three consecutive races at Bangor, Southwell and Hereford.

The last straw came when Elsich refused after a mile at Newport, prompting the Stewards of the National Hunt Committee to inform Charles Edwards that they would not accept any more entries for the horse. 

Their decision was understandable, for Elsich had fallen in 22 of his 50 races, sometimes more than once, and either pulled up, refused or run out in another nine. His abject string of performances did, however, introduce a degree of levity into those austere post-war times. 

Despite having held a professional jockey’s licence since the 1946/47 season, it was not until March 10, 1956 that Renfield Jenkins finally rode a winner, when 20-1 outsider Bar Inn landed the Chepstow Novices’ Hurdle (Division 1) at that Monmouthshire venue. Bar Inn was running her second race, having finished unplaced on her debut with Renfield aboard at Worcester seven days earlier. She never ran again following that Chepstow victory.

Renfield’s only other winner was Estelle in the 24-runner Maiden Hurdle for four- and five-year-olds at Hereford on March 16, 1957. Again, it was only the winner’s second race over jumps, having finished fourth, again with Renfield in the saddle, at Hereford the previous month. Unlike Bar Inn, however, Estelle ran four more times that season, but the best she and Renfield managed was one fourth place.

He held a licence until the 1958/59 season and then trained under both codes for a brief time, based at  Greendown Farm, Bonvilston, near Cardiff, but relinquished his licence in March 1961. His son, John Jenkins, was a successful jump jockey and later became an even more successful trainer.