Johnny Longden
Encyclopedia
John Eric Longden was an America
n Hall of Fame
jockey. He was born in Wakefield
, Yorkshire
, England
but his father wanted to build a better life for his family so in 1909 emigrated to Canada
, settling in Taber, Alberta. By 1912 Longden Sr. had saved enough money to send for his wife and young son to join him in Canada. However, the Longden's train was late getting to the port of Southampton
and they missed their scheduled voyage to New York City
on the Titanic. http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2003/derby_coverage/derby_news/derby_news_02152003.html
As a young man, Johnny Longden worked in the mining industry but with a love of horses and horse-racing, his small stature led him to leave Canada in 1927 to seek opportunities as a jockey in California
's burgeoning racing scene. Based at Santa Anita Park
, by 1956 he had become thoroughbred racing's winningest rider, breaking the record of 4,870 wins by British
jockey Sir Gordon Richards
(1904–1988). During his illustrious career, Longden, who was called "The Pumper" by his fellow jockeys because of his riding style, rode many of the great thoroughbreds of the day and in 1943 he captured the elusive United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
winning the Kentucky Derby
, the Preakness Stakes
and the Belmont Stakes
aboard Count Fleet
. A sculptured bust of John Longden, along with busts of fellow jockey greats, William Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay, has been placed in the paddock area at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California.
A founding member of the Jockeys' Guild
in 1940, Johnny Longden was the United States' leading jockey in races won in 1938, 1947, and again in 1948 and was the leading jockey in purses won in 1943 and 1945. He was voted the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
in 1952 that honors a rider whose career and personal conduct exemplifies the very best example of participants in the sport of thoroughbred racing. In 1958, Longden was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
and retired the following year as the jockey with the most wins in racing history with 6,032 victories from his 32,413 mounts. His last ride was in the 1966 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita Park which he won aboard George Royal
in a thrilling stretch duel. In the Clubhouse at Santa Anita Park there is an oil painting
of the finish of the 1966 San Juan Capistrano which was also used for the cover of the Santa Anita official program during the 1967 racing season.
Johnny Longen operated a racing stable under the name Alberta Ranches Ltd. in partnership with longtime friend, Max Bell
. On January 28, 1971, Longden's wife Hazel became the first woman to train a stakes winner at Santa Anita Park when her horse Diplomatic Agent won the San Vicente Stakes
. His sons Eric and Vance Longden
both became horse trainers.
Following his retirement from riding, Longden turned to training and became the only person to ever win the Kentucky Derby as both a jockey and trainer when he captured with 1969 Derby with Max Bell's colt, Majestic Prince
. Longden was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
on its formation in 1976. He went on to become the second ever recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award
in 1985, given annually to jockeys who have made significant contributions to the sport and in 1994 he was recognized further by the North American racing industry with a Special Eclipse Award
.
Johnny Longden died on his 96th birthday at his home in Banning, California
.
As of 2006, Longden still holds five track records at Santa Anita Park.
Longden was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
During the 1956-57 season of I Love Lucy
, Longden portrayed himself in the episode entitled "Lucy And The Loving Cup." Desi Arnaz
as "Ricky" awarded the cup to Longdon but it was attached to Lucy's head which made for quite a presentation. Earlier in the day, Lucy unfortunately put the cup over her head as a joke but it got stuck and she was unable to remove it.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
jockey. He was born in Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
but his father wanted to build a better life for his family so in 1909 emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, settling in Taber, Alberta. By 1912 Longden Sr. had saved enough money to send for his wife and young son to join him in Canada. However, the Longden's train was late getting to the port of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and they missed their scheduled voyage to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on the Titanic. http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2003/derby_coverage/derby_news/derby_news_02152003.html
As a young man, Johnny Longden worked in the mining industry but with a love of horses and horse-racing, his small stature led him to leave Canada in 1927 to seek opportunities as a jockey in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's burgeoning racing scene. Based at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
, by 1956 he had become thoroughbred racing's winningest rider, breaking the record of 4,870 wins by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jockey Sir Gordon Richards
Gordon Richards
Sir Gordon Richards was an English jockey, and is often considered the world's greatest ever jockey. He remains the only jockey to have been knighted....
(1904–1988). During his illustrious career, Longden, who was called "The Pumper" by his fellow jockeys because of his riding style, rode many of the great thoroughbreds of the day and in 1943 he captured the elusive United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
winning the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
and the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
aboard Count Fleet
Count Fleet
Count Fleet was born and died at Stoner Creek Stud farm in Paris, Kentucky, United States. He was a Thoroughbred racehorse and Triple Crown champion in 1943....
. A sculptured bust of John Longden, along with busts of fellow jockey greats, William Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay, has been placed in the paddock area at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California.
A founding member of the Jockeys' Guild
Jockeys' Guild
The Jockeys' Guild Inc. is an American trade association based in Lexington, Kentucky, representing thoroughbred horse racing and American quarter horse professional jockeys...
in 1940, Johnny Longden was the United States' leading jockey in races won in 1938, 1947, and again in 1948 and was the leading jockey in purses won in 1943 and 1945. He was voted the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.The award was created...
in 1952 that honors a rider whose career and personal conduct exemplifies the very best example of participants in the sport of thoroughbred racing. In 1958, Longden was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
and retired the following year as the jockey with the most wins in racing history with 6,032 victories from his 32,413 mounts. His last ride was in the 1966 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita Park which he won aboard George Royal
George Royal
George Royal was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. Foaled in Cloverdale, British Columbia, George Royal was sired by Dark Hawk out of the mare Polly Bashaw. His great-grandsire was Hyperion, son of the English Triple Crown Champion Gainsborough.The colt began racing at two at...
in a thrilling stretch duel. In the Clubhouse at Santa Anita Park there is an oil painting
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
of the finish of the 1966 San Juan Capistrano which was also used for the cover of the Santa Anita official program during the 1967 racing season.
Johnny Longen operated a racing stable under the name Alberta Ranches Ltd. in partnership with longtime friend, Max Bell
Max Bell
George Maxwell "Max" Bell was a Canadian newspaper publisher, race horse owner and philanthropist. He was best known as the co-founder of FP Publications, Canada's largest newspaper syndicate in the 1960s. He built his newspaper empire after inheriting the Calgary Albertan, and its $500,000 debt,...
. On January 28, 1971, Longden's wife Hazel became the first woman to train a stakes winner at Santa Anita Park when her horse Diplomatic Agent won the San Vicente Stakes
San Vicente Stakes
The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade III event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and carries a purse of $150,000....
. His sons Eric and Vance Longden
Vance Longden
Vance Longden was an American Thoroughbred horse trainer based in California.Vance Longden was the son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden and his first wife, Helen. He was raised around horses and apprenticed with trainer William Molter...
both became horse trainers.
Following his retirement from riding, Longden turned to training and became the only person to ever win the Kentucky Derby as both a jockey and trainer when he captured with 1969 Derby with Max Bell's colt, Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince was a Thoroughbred racehorse purchased by Calgary, Alberta oilman Frank McMahon at the Keeneland yearling sale in September 1967 for a then record price of $250,000...
. Longden was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
on its formation in 1976. He went on to become the second ever recipient of the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award
Avelino Gomez Memorial Award
The Avelino Gomez Memorial Award is a Canadian thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually to a jockey who is Canadian-born, Canadian-raised, or a regular in the country for more than five years, who has made significant contributions to the sport...
in 1985, given annually to jockeys who have made significant contributions to the sport and in 1994 he was recognized further by the North American racing industry with a Special Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
.
Johnny Longden died on his 96th birthday at his home in Banning, California
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
.
As of 2006, Longden still holds five track records at Santa Anita Park.
Longden was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
During the 1956-57 season of I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, Longden portrayed himself in the episode entitled "Lucy And The Loving Cup." Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
as "Ricky" awarded the cup to Longdon but it was attached to Lucy's head which made for quite a presentation. Earlier in the day, Lucy unfortunately put the cup over her head as a joke but it got stuck and she was unable to remove it.