John Wreford Letheren was born in Dorset in 1856. He rode 60 winners over jumps between 1877 and 1884. In fact, by the time of his first winner, he had already ridden three, but none of them counted.
He had his first ride in the Soberton Hurdle Stakes at the Hambledon Hunt National Hunt meeting on 23 April 1874. His mount, Cerise, dead-heated with Fracas, to whom he was conceding 19lb, ridden by the experienced amateur Mr F. Barnes. However, in the run-off Fracas beat Cerise by one length.
Back at Hambledon Hunt on 4 May 1976, Mr Letheren rode a double, winning a pair of two-mile flat races, the Farmers’ Cup on Gamebird and the Consolation Stakes on Cock Robin. However, both horses were disqualified on technical grounds when it was found that the person who nominated them was not qualified to do so according to the conditions of the race.
He finally managed to ride a winner and keep the race at the Isle of Wight’s meeting on 12 April 1877 – and like London buses, they all came at once, landing his first three wins on the same afternoon. The first was Turret in the Isle of Wight Hunt Steeplechase; the second leg was Master Skerratt in the three-mile Open Hunters’ Chase; the treble was completed by a second success on Turret, this time in the Isle of Wight Hunt Plate.
Mr Letheren enjoyed his most successful year in 1880 with 15 wins, placing him joint-seventh in the amateur riders’ table and joint-ninth in the jockeys’ championship. He was particularly effective around Crewkrerne, where he rode 17 winners during his career including a four-timer.
He had one ride in the National Hunt Chase, finishing unplaced on The O’Dowd in 1883, when the race was held at Little Dalby, near Melton Mowbray.
Mr Letheren rode his last winner on Freda, who scored by an “easy” (according to the form book) one length in the Maiden Hunters’ Hurdle at the Vale of White Horse fixture at Oaksey Park on 16 April 1884.
He had what would prove to be his final ride at Hambledon Hunt, the place where he had started out and lost three races after finishing first. That Hampshire venue had been his béte noire and would remain so until the bitter end. On 23 April 1885 he won the Hants Yeomanry Cup Hurdle on the unfortunately-named Amnesia. Mr Letheren could not draw the weight when returning to weigh in, meaning Amnesia was disqualified, the race being awarded to Corhampton Lad.
Nor did the ignominy end there, for Mr Letheren was called in by the stewards to account for the missing weight. Not satisfied with his explanation, they reported him to the stewards of the Grand National Hunt, who summoned him to attend. When Mr Letheren did not appear, he was duly warned off.
John Letheren died in Trull, Somerset on 31 March 1892. He left £361.