Reliable information about the earliest jockeys is scarce: historians had yet to pick up the bridle.
We know that a match took place at York in August 1700 between Mr Warrens’ Careless and the Duke of Devonshire’s Atlas and we know that Match’em Timms was one of the riders. Timms was employed by the Earl of Carlisle: in 1719 he rode Buckhunter in the Gold Cup of the York Meeting. Timms himself was the owner of Bald Peg who won His Majesty’s Guineas at Richmond, Yorkshire in 1725.
His son was born a year later in 1726 and became a rider of great renown. He rode for the Dukes of Ancaster and Devonshire, Lord Downe and others. Young Timms was just 11 years old when he won a match at Hambleton. He died on Friday 30th September 1791 aged 65.