Johnny Ryan

Johnny Ryan 

In the village of Portlaw, Curraghmore, in County Waterford, an old man sat quietly on his porch with his memories.

A placid soft face, with the most delightful of old-time manners, full of respect and self-respect, he was one of nature's gentlemen who, in his youth, received praise and adulation from the multitude such as would have turned many heads but left Johnny Ryan - the man on the porch - unspoiled and contented with his lot.

'I never wanted other than to serve my dear lord,' he once said; 'my dear lord' being Henry, third Marquis of Waterford. Johnny served him to the very end, for it was in his arms that Lord Waterford drew his last breath on the roadside in the wild valley among the Bessborough Hills in March 1859.

Johnny Ryan - he couldn't remember anyone ever calling him John - was born at Mountjoy Forest, Omagh, in County Tyrone in June 1826. Here his father was gardener to Sir Charles J. Gardener who, in those days, kept racing stables. Johnny's great wish as a lad was to get into them; one morning, as an eleven-year-old boy, he hid under a garden barrow to avoid going to school so that he might waylay Sir Charles alone and make his petition. This he did; Sir Charles told him that if he was able to sit on a certain wicked mare over a flight of hurdles, he would take him on as a stable boy. Johnny accomplished this with ease and spent the next seven years as an apprentice to Sir Charles.

Thus began Johnny Ryan's most distinguished riding career.

From Sir Charles. he went to Captain Henrick, of Johnstown, Co Kildare; Henrick entered a horse called Black Dwarf at Ballybar races in Co Carlow, and it was Johnny's riding of that horse which attracted the attention of Lord Waterford, who bought the horse.

And, as Johnny always said: 'I believe he bought me, too!'

That was in 1834. Johnny went down to Curraghmore and never left the family. He was still there sixty years later!

In 1844, Lord Waterford had about sixteen horses in training; consequently, Johnny had plenty of practice between the flags before the Marquis - who had just given up the Mastership of Tipperary - also took him on as second horseman with the pack he established at Curraghmore under the title of Lord Waterford's Foxhounds.

Over the years, Johnny and Lord Waterford rode many thousands of miles together, travelling to distant race meetings. 'I never knew him to be tired' said Johnny, 'and it took a good deal of riding to tire me out either in those days.'

Some of the chasers that carried the 'Waterford blue' to victory in the racing season bore their owner in pursuit of his hounds during the winter. Johnny, meanwhile, rode Blueskin, Redwing, Ballysax, Firefly, Lord George, The Sea, and many other celebrated horses across the roughest parts of Co. Waterford in the wake of his master.

It was not long before the name of Johnny Ryan became familiar to racing men; he found himself in great demand, not only on the flat but also over fences.

His record as a jockey - compiled by Mr Sargent in his 'Thoughts Upon Sport' - stands unparalleled.

According to that author, Johnny rode 'a total of 130 races for Lord Waterford, of which he won on no less than 112. He was also second on five occasions and third on three more, the three third places being in the Liverpool Grand National.'

Whilst those statistics somehow beggar belief, they are entirely possible. However, Johnny's best wins were not just confined to Ireland. He also won the 1849 Grand Autumn Free Handicap run over four miles at Liverpool on the remarkably good-looking bay gelding Sir John, which beat Vain Hope by two lengths.

The following year, Sir John, in a field of thirty-two, started favourite for the Grand National. Johnny always considers that he was most unlucky not to have won. He had almost overhauled the eventual winner, Abd-el-Kader, at the final hurdle when it clouted the hurdle so hard that it sprang back up and caught Sir John just as he was jumping. This momentarily halted his progress, just enough for Abd-el-Kader to withstand the final thrust of The Knight Of Gwynne. Sir John, full of running, finished third.

Lord Waterford was the first to console the unfortunate jockey. Patting Johnny on the shoulder, Lord Waterford said: 'Well done, Johnny! Better luck next time.'

Johnny's style of riding was of a jockey who was never flurried or excited. He always cited Sir John as the best he rode over fences but qualified that by admitting that 'Lord George was a rare good one'. In the autumn of 1851, Johnny won the Great Metropolitan Steeplechase on him. Later that day, he won the Epsom Hurdle. Epsom, then, was a notorious venue for jumpers, its downhill gradient being totally unsuitable for jump racing.

The tragic end of Lord Henry – killed in a hunting accident – brought Johnny's career as a jockey to a conclusion after which his time was devoted to the care and management of hunters at Curraghmore.

John – Lord Waterford – the brother who succeeded Henry, owned sixty-six hunters, and this was probably the busiest time of Johnny's life. He had under him, between coachmen, second horsemen, and helpers, about forty men directly connected with the stables, while another six or seven were employed at the kennels.

Johnny Ryan died at Portlaw on Wednesday, 23 October 1907. During his fifty-four years' service at Curraghmore, he was, in turn, the servant of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth Marquis of Waterford.