Joseph Thwaites
1891 - 1961
The son of a shipyard worker, Joseph Thwaites was born at Stockton on June 10, 1891, and rode over 700 winners before retiring and taking up training at Malton.
He had started his apprenticeship in France aged 12 with Rowland Carter before returning to England to complete his time with Captain John Renwick. At 5ft 8ins, he was the tallest jockey of his day. He was also a good footballer.
He rode his first winner on 8-1 chance Portent, trained by Renwick, in the Birdforth Apprentice Plate at Thirsk on April 28, 1911.
Although primarily a Flat jockey, he also had a few rides under National Hunt rules, winning on one of them. This was at Sedgefield on December 27, 1920, when Sublime Princess beat 10 rivals in taking the Mordon Hurdle. This was the five-year-old’s debut over jumps, but the mare had already won a race on the Flat that year, as well as two more in 1919, ridden each time by Joe.
He was also in the saddle for her next, and final, race over jumps, when second, beaten four lengths, in the Bogside Hurdle at that course on January 6, 1921. Joe then reverted to riding on the Flat, while Sublime Princess went on to win one more race on the level, at Lincoln, ridden on that occasion by Harry Wragg.
Joe achieved his two greatest victories in 1926, winning Royal Ascot’s Wokingham on Capture Him and the Cambridgeshire on Insight II.
He began training at Malton in 1944. It was a relatively brief second career, finishing in 1950.
Joseph Thwaites died at Middlesbrough on December 4, 1961, aged 70.
Stan Tidey (born 1903)
Stan rode for seven seasons: his best being 1923 when he rode 13 winners.
In all he rode a total of 36 winners.
He was the son of James William Tidey of Essex: his family had been involved in racing
for a number of generations. His father was private trainer to Doctor Boyce Barrow.
Stan was attached to Joe Orbells's stables at Bury St Edmunds and rode his first winner over
jumps as a 5 lb claimer on Dinah Morris in the 2 mile 6 furlong Stayers' Handicap Hurdle
at Nottingham on February I, 1921.
When Joe Orbell gave up training, Stan went to Basil Briscoe's stables where he eventually
became head man and was with Briscoe up to the start of WW2.
In 1930, Briscoe took in an unbroken 3-y-o he had bought for £500, and although the
horse's make and shape were good when he arrived, he didn't look as if he was worth a tenth of his price.
About a month after he had been broken in, Briscoe named the horse.
On hearing it, Stan said: 'What a good name for such a bad horse!'
Briscoe had called the horse...Golden Miller!
My thanks to Derek Gay of Weston-Super-Mare, who contributed the article and photo.