William Rollason

1884 -1944

National Hunt jockey William Partridge Rollason rode 69 winners over jumps between 1905 and 1913 and notched a double on the final day’s racing at Maiden Erlegh.

William had his first ride over jumps at Kempton Park on March 12, 1904, finishing fifth of nine runners on Flying Peggy in the Littleton Handicap Hurdle. He rode his first winner on 6-1 chance Zampieri, who won the Datchet Chase at Hawthorn Hill on April 18, 1905 in a ‘canter’ (according to the form book) by four lengths.

William enjoyed his best year numerically in 1906 with 15 winners. They included a double on the final day’s racing at Maiden Erlegh on Thursday, April 12. He won the three-runner Reading Selling Chase on Wedding Tour, then rode Sonning to victory in the three-mile 130 yards Great Western Handicap Chase, the last race on the card and the last ever run at the Berkshire track.

Maiden Erlegh (alternatively spelt at times as Earley, Early and Erleigh) staged its inaugural meeting under the auspices of the Royal Berkshire Yeomanry on May 18, 1886. The ‘yeomanry’ element of its title was dropped in 1890 when its name was changed to South Berks Hunt. It was an all-steeplechase affair until hurdle races were introduced in 1900.

Its meetings were popular and attracted above average fields, most races being highly competitive. Its March fixture was extended to two days in 1901 with an additional two-day meeting taking place in November. A fifth day’s racing was added in 1904. Some of the races, including the Erlegh Cup, were worth £140 to the winner, again well above average for a fixture of that type.

However, the end came with a two-day meeting in April 1906. The reason for its closure was that Mr Solly Joel, who owned the land, wanted to develop it for breeding purposes, and as the functions of a stud farm and a racecourse were clearly not compatible over the same land, the racecourse had to go. Its closure was at least conveniently timed for locals as the new course at Newbury, about 16 miles to the west, had opened the year before.

The year after Maiden Erlegh’s closure, William Rollason rode a treble at Newbury on February 23, 1907, winning the Herts Selling Handicap Chase on Black Ivory, the Pembroke Selling Handicap Hurdle on Wallaroo, and the Ogbourne Maiden Hurdle on Bed Of Stone.

He rode in two Grand Nationals, falling on 66-1 shot York II in 1908, and pulling up on the 100-1 outsider Precentor II in 1910.

William rode the last winner over jumps on Greator in the Winchfield Selling Handicap Hurdle at Aldershot on November 12, 1913.

In 1914 he took out a licence to ride on the Flat. He had 18 mounts that year, just one of them a winner, but he did get to ride in a Classic. His sole success came at Windsor on May 23 when First Venture, trained by Vic Tabor, won the Two-Year-Old Selling Plate by three lengths. First Venture had run three times unplaced before that Windsor victory, twice ridden by William, and was to win two more races before being sent to America.

Six days after winning on First Venture, William rode Pretty Belle for Tabor in the Oaks. She was an outsider, not having been placed in any of her previous seven outings. She was slowly away and always towards the rear of the field, finishing 16th of the 21 runners, but at least she did win a race at Liverpool later in the year, ridden by promising apprentice Kenny Robertson.

William’s last ride on the Flat was Loud Report, who finished unplaced in the Alington Two-Year-Old Selling Plate at Sandown Park on June 27, 1914. He did not renew his licence for 1915.

He did, though, continue to ride over jumps, having his final mount on Marie’s Pride, who finished fifth in the March Selling Hurdle at Lingfield Park on March 12, 1915.

William Rollason died on January 27, 1944, aged 59.

Additional information supplied by Alan Trout.