Reginald Walter Stokes was born at Heavitree in Devon: he rode his first winner, Mine d'or, at Derby on November 18, 1910.
He became champion jockey in Spain in 1918.
He won the 1914 Lincoln on Outram, the 1921 Royal Hunt Cup on Illuminator and the 1911 Goodwood Stakes on Ignition. He also won Manchester's Prince Edward Handicap in 1914 on Bowman.
Sadly, on December 6, 1938, he committed suicide by poisoning himself with Lysol: aged 48, he died in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge.
He left his older jockey brother Henry Stokes (1880-1942) £707 in his will.