Saturday, May 11, 2019

Billy Barton, Belmont, Gentleman Jockey Albert G. Ober and ... Pimlico

Billy Barton, a thoroughbred horse, was not suited to race tracks but excelled at steeplechase races. He was sold to many owners, from a high of $32,000 to the owner of the NY Giants, finally for $2,000 to Howard Bruce of  "Belmont" (mansion in Elkridge, Md., not the racecourse in NY).  Billy Barton became very "ractious" and eventually was banned from race tracks - he bolted the opposite direction in a race at Pimlico.  After a few years of fox hunts, he gained fame as a steeplechase winner, often mentioned in the newspapers and made the cover of Time in 1929.  One article was about the negotiations for the horse to stay in a stateroom on the Cunard shipping line sailing to England to run in the Grand National. Gentleman jockey Albert Ober often rode him to victory. 

Monday, May 6, 2019

Blog change

The last two years have been very busy, as will this year.  So I am stepping back and will put up posts once a month for a while.  The next post will be on "gentleman jockey" Albert Ober.