20 Facts About Joe Childs

Joseph Childs was a French-born, British-based flat racing jockey.

Joe Childs won fifteen British Classics in a 35-year career, the last ten years of which were spent as jockey to King George V Joe Childs was known for riding a slow, waiting race, and for having a short temper which regularly saw him at odds with his trainers and owners.

Joe Childs's father had ridden successfully in France, and his grandfather had worked at the stables of Peter Price in Newmarket.

Joe would go on to be the foremost of these, but Charles Charlie Childs would win the 1916 St Leger on Hurry On, two years before Joe himself won it.

Childs was married to Emily Lavis like Childs she was from a racing family, born in Chantilly and the daughter of racing trainer Alfred James Lavis, they had one child Joey who died in 1916.

Joe Childs spent his apprenticeship at Phantom House, Newmarket, the stables of trainer, Tom Jennings Jr.

The first French trainer for whom Joe Childs rode was Maurice Caillault.

Joe Childs was back and forth across the Channel for a couple of years before he finally found success on a third spell in France.

The Weinberg brothers' trainer was Fred Darling and Joe Childs formed a partnership with that trainer which would provide him with some of his most memorable victories, although given Joe Childs' temper the relationship was often stormy.

Joe Childs was based back in France in 1912, when he won his first Classic on Mirska for his old trainer, Tom Jennings.

Joe Childs's successful spell in Europe, though, was cut short by the advent of World War I He escaped France on the last train before the Germans arrived and had to leave all his possessions behind.

Joe Childs went on to be only the fourth, and to date, last, filly to do the Oaks-Derby double.

Taylor would be one of the trainers for whom Joe Childs would continue to ride after the war.

Joe Childs rode Buchan, the odds-on favourite, for Lord Astor in the 1919 St Leger, but got beaten.

From 1925 until his retirement in 1935, Joe Childs would be jockey to King George V whose horses were trained by William Rose Jarvis.

Joe Childs would refer to the King as 'My Guv'nor' and would toast him with champagne every time he won on one of his horses.

Joe Childs won the 1926 Derby on Coronach for one of his long standing trainers, Fred Darling, one of the few trainers who could handle him.

Joe Childs is described as "The most fanatical exponent of waiting".

Joe Childs is said to have ridden some of his best races at Newmarket.

Joe Childs published an autobiography, My Racing Reminiscences in 1952 and died in Portsmouth in 1958.