Willie Simms
On April 16, 1895, the first day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting, American jockey Willie Simms started a revolution in race-riding by winning the six-furlong Crawfurd Handicap on Eau Gallie, using the low crouch position which had never been seen in Europe before.
On April 16, 1895, the first day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting, American jockey Willie Simms started a revolution in race-riding by winning the six-furlong Crawfurd Handicap on Eau Gallie, using the low crouch position which had never been seen in Europe before.
Jockeys in the Victorian era rode with long stirrups and sat upright in the saddle. The new, crouching style had originated in the short, fierce Colonial quarter-horse races, where black jockeys, often without the benefit of saddle, were forced to grab hold of their horses’ manes. It worked, because the advantages of the streamlined, aerodynamic style greatly reduced wind resistance, distributing the jockey’s weight evenly and thus enabling the horse to stride out more freely. But it was anathema to English jockeys, owners, trainers and racegoers who initially derided it.
Jockeys in the Victorian era rode with long stirrups and sat upright in the saddle. The new, crouching style had originated in the short, fierce Colonial quarter-horse races, where black jockeys, often without the benefit of saddle, were forced to grab hold of their horses’ manes. It worked, because the advantages of the streamlined, aerodynamic style greatly reduced wind resistance, distributing the jockey’s weight evenly and thus enabling the horse to stride out more freely. But it was anathema to English jockeys, owners, trainers and racegoers who initially derided it.
Tod Sloan is widely regarded as the American jockey who introduced the crouching style to Europe. While it is true that he popularised it, the now almost forgotten Willie Simms had been the first to use it on a British racecourse.
Tod Sloan is widely regarded as the American jockey who introduced the crouching style to Europe. While it is true that he popularised it, the now almost forgotten Willie Simms had been the first to use it on a British racecourse.
Willie Simms was born near Augusta, Georgia, on January 16, 1870. It is said he got into racing simply because he liked the colours of the jockey silks he saw at country fair race meetings. Maybe there was more to it than that, though, when he set off without his parents’ permission to New York.
Willie Simms was born near Augusta, Georgia, on January 16, 1870. It is said he got into racing simply because he liked the colours of the jockey silks he saw at country fair race meetings. Maybe there was more to it than that, though, when he set off without his parents’ permission to New York.
Weighing just under seven stone, he achieved his first major victory when winning the 1891 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga on Promenade. He wound up fifth in the national jockeys’ table that year, rising to number two in 1892. In 1893 he won the Belmont Stakes on Comanche and ended the year as the nation’s champion jockey with 182 wins. He won a second successive Belmont Stakes in 1894 on Henry of Navarre.
Weighing just under seven stone, he achieved his first major victory when winning the 1891 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga on Promenade. He wound up fifth in the national jockeys’ table that year, rising to number two in 1892. In 1893 he won the Belmont Stakes on Comanche and ended the year as the nation’s champion jockey with 182 wins. He won a second successive Belmont Stakes in 1894 on Henry of Navarre.
His next stop was England, where he arrived at the end of 1894, with a trainer named Campbell, who had brought a string of horses from America, including Eau Gallie, on whom Willie made his British debut on the opening day of that aforementioned 1895 Craven meeting.
His next stop was England, where he arrived at the end of 1894, with a trainer named Campbell, who had brought a string of horses from America, including Eau Gallie, on whom Willie made his British debut on the opening day of that aforementioned 1895 Craven meeting.
Racegoers on that day mocked his riding style, not realising that this black foreigner was a harbinger of the future. When he cantered to the start on Eau Gallie at Newmarket, the crowd laughed and jeered. Nor did their attitude change when Eau Gallie (who was by Iroquois, the first American-bred Derby winner) won by a length with some of the best British jockeys behind him.
Racegoers on that day mocked his riding style, not realising that this black foreigner was a harbinger of the future. When he cantered to the start on Eau Gallie at Newmarket, the crowd laughed and jeered. Nor did their attitude change when Eau Gallie (who was by Iroquois, the first American-bred Derby winner) won by a length with some of the best British jockeys behind him.
An English racing correspondent later wrote of Willie’s debit at Newmarket: “The sight of him taking Eau Gallie to the start of the Crawfurd Plate on April 16 induced ridicule and derision. Simms silenced the mockers in the time-honoured way: he won. In his slipstream toiled the cream of English jockeyship, including Morny Cannon, Sam and Tommy Loates, Fred Allsopp and Walter Bradford – the five leading riders in the table.”
An English racing correspondent later wrote of Willie’s debit at Newmarket: “The sight of him taking Eau Gallie to the start of the Crawfurd Plate on April 16 induced ridicule and derision. Simms silenced the mockers in the time-honoured way: he won. In his slipstream toiled the cream of English jockeyship, including Morny Cannon, Sam and Tommy Loates, Fred Allsopp and Walter Bradford – the five leading riders in the table.”
However, prejudice was hard to overcome. In the four months Willie rode in England he secured only 19 rides, resulting in four wins, all at Newmarket, and four places. His second and third wins were gained on Banquet II in one-mile selling plates on the Rowley Mile, his fourth and final victory coming aboard odds-on favourite Harry Reed in a seller on the July Course.
However, prejudice was hard to overcome. In the four months Willie rode in England he secured only 19 rides, resulting in four wins, all at Newmarket, and four places. His second and third wins were gained on Banquet II in one-mile selling plates on the Rowley Mile, his fourth and final victory coming aboard odds-on favourite Harry Reed in a seller on the July Course.
Willie duly returned to America in the late summer of 1895, in time to win the Jerome Stakes on Counter Tenor and the Champagne Stakes on Ben Brush. The following year, Willie rode Ben Brush to victory in America’s most famous race, the Kentucky Derby. He won it for a second time in 1898 on Plaudit and went on to add that year’s Preakness Stakes, thus making him the only black jockey to win all three (later more celebrated) three-year-old Triple Crown classics.
Willie duly returned to America in the late summer of 1895, in time to win the Jerome Stakes on Counter Tenor and the Champagne Stakes on Ben Brush. The following year, Willie rode Ben Brush to victory in America’s most famous race, the Kentucky Derby. He won it for a second time in 1898 on Plaudit and went on to add that year’s Preakness Stakes, thus making him the only black jockey to win all three (later more celebrated) three-year-old Triple Crown classics.
Willie Simms did not ride in Britain long enough to make a lasting impression, and when Tod Sloan arrived two years later, he too was ridiculed at first. However, his outstanding success forced his rivals to adopt the crouch if they were to compete on equal terms. Sloan was known as the ‘Monkey on a stick’ but that disparaging description was first applied to Willie Simms because of his colour. Indeed, one trainer was overheard to remark of Simms that he looked lonesome without his banjo.
Willie Simms did not ride in Britain long enough to make a lasting impression, and when Tod Sloan arrived two years later, he too was ridiculed at first. However, his outstanding success forced his rivals to adopt the crouch if they were to compete on equal terms. Sloan was known as the ‘Monkey on a stick’ but that disparaging description was first applied to Willie Simms because of his colour. Indeed, one trainer was overheard to remark of Simms that he looked lonesome without his banjo.
Black jockeys, regarded then as little more than servants, were dominant in America up to the dawn of the 20th century, winning most of the early runnings of the Kentucky Derby. Willie, along with fellow blacks Isaac Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield, was one of the greatest American jockeys of his time. All three won the Kentucky Derby more than once. However, they were gradually squeezed out by white jockeys as their profession became more lucrative.
Black jockeys, regarded then as little more than servants, were dominant in America up to the dawn of the 20th century, winning most of the early runnings of the Kentucky Derby. Willie, along with fellow blacks Isaac Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield, was one of the greatest American jockeys of his time. All three won the Kentucky Derby more than once. However, they were gradually squeezed out by white jockeys as their profession became more lucrative.
Willie Simms was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Saratoga in 1977.
Willie Simms was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Saratoga in 1977.
He died on February 26, 1927, aged 57.
He died on February 26, 1927, aged 57.
His four English winners, all at Newmarket in 1895, were:
His four English winners, all at Newmarket in 1895, were:
April 16: Eau Gallie (Rowley Mile)
April 16: Eau Gallie (Rowley Mile)
April 30: Banquet II (Rowley Mile)
April 30: Banquet II (Rowley Mile)
May 16: Banquet II (Rowley Mile)
May 16: Banquet II (Rowley Mile)
July 16: Harry Reed (July Course)
July 16: Harry Reed (July Course)
His big wins in America included:
His big wins in America included:
1891: Spinaway Stakes – Promenade
1891: Spinaway Stakes – Promenade
1893: Belmont Stakes – Comanche
1893: Belmont Stakes – Comanche
1894: Belmont Stakes – Henry of Navarre
1894: Belmont Stakes – Henry of Navarre
1895: Jerome Stakes – Counter Tenor
1895: Jerome Stakes – Counter Tenor
1895: Champagne Stakes – Ben Brush
1895: Champagne Stakes – Ben Brush
1896: Kentucky Derby – Ben Brush
1896: Kentucky Derby – Ben Brush
1897: Suburban Handicap – Ben Brush
1897: Suburban Handicap – Ben Brush
1898: Kentucky Derby – Plaudit
1898: Kentucky Derby – Plaudit
1898: Preakness Stakes – Plaudit
1898: Preakness Stakes – Plaudit
- Article based on information sourced from a Racing Post feature by John Randall, and from ‘The Great Black Jockeys’ by Edward Hotaling (1999).
