Samuel Chifney

Samuel Chifney (1753?-8 January 1807) was an English jockey.

Chifney was born in Norfolk around 1753 and, entering Foxe's stables at Newmarket Racecourse in 1770, soon learned the rudiments of horse racing. He said of himself, "In 1773 I could ride horses in a better manner in a race to beat others than any other person ever known in my time, and in 1775 I could train horses for running better than any person I ever yet saw. Riding I learnt myself and training I learnt from Mr. Richard Prince, training groom to Lord Foley". In 1787 he rode for the Duke of Bedford, and two years later won the Epsom Derby on Skyscraper for the Duke. For Lord Grosvenor he won the Epsom Oaks on Ceres in 1782, and on Maid of the Oaks in 1783. For Lord Egremont in 1789 he won the Oaks on Tagg, and took the same race in 1790 on Hypolita for the Duke of Bedford. Chifney's style of riding was to keep a slack rein - a method which has never found much favour, but which in his case was successful. He was one of the first to ride a waiting race, coming towards the finish with a tremendous rush. He was considered the best horseman of his time; at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, he could ride at 7 stone 12 pounds - 110 pounds (50 kg). On 14 July 1790 he was hired as "rider for life" by the Prince of Wales to ride his racehorses at a salary of 200 guineas a year. Immediately after his riding the Prince's horse Escape at Newmarket on 20 and 21 October 1791, insinuations against the character of the Prince and his jockey were widespread. Chifney was summoned before the Jockey Club, where nothing was proven against him; in consequence of a resolution passed by the Jockey Club, however, the Prince of Wales sold his stable and ended his connection with the turf.

In 1795 Chifney, in reduced circumstances, wrote and published (or probably had written for him) a book entitled Genius Genuine, by Samuel Chifney of Newmarket. This book, although merely an octavo of 170 pages, sold for £5. Sales must have been adequate, for a second edition appeared in 1804. In 1800, he published The Narrative or Address of Samuel Chifney, Rider for Life to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at a price of two shillings sixpence. The year before, he was again castigated for his riding of Mr. Cookson's Sir Harry, but it afterwards became apparent that in this case the horse and not the rider was at fault. Chifney left Newmarket for London in 1800, never to return.

In 1806, he sold his annuity of 200 guineas from the Prince of Wales for £1,260. Chifney invented a bit for horses, which is named after him and still in use. It consists of a curb and two snaffles, and exerts greater pressure on the sides of the horse's mouth. The Chifney bit is sometimes described as an Uppingham bit with pelham cheeks and a snaffle mouth.^[1] In connection with his bit he became indebted to a saddler named Latchford for £350, and after being in confinement for a considerable time died at age 52 in a wretched lodging in Fleet Lane (near the Fleet prison) on 8 January 1807.

Chifney is buried in St. Sepulchre's Cemetery, Oxford. He had two sons, both well known. The elder, William Chifney (born at Newmarket in 1784), was all his life engaged in the care of racehorses in the neighbourhood of Newmarket. On 31 May 1803 he publicly thrashed Lieutenant-Colonel George Leigh (an equerry to the Prince of Wales) for abusing his father. For that assault, he was imprisoned for six months at Cambridge. He died in Pancras Square, Pancras Road, London on 14 October 1862.

Chifney's younger son, Samuel, was born in 1786. He first rode for the Prince of Wales at the Stockbridge meeting in 1802. He also used the slack-rein technique originated by his father and, during his career, "the Chifney rush" was a well-known riding tacic. He was five times winner of the Oaks: on Briseis in 1807, Sorcery in 1811, Landscape in 1816, Shoveller in 1819 and Wings in 1823. Twice he won the Epsom Derby: on Sam (named after himself) in 1818, and Sailor in 1820. He also won the 1,000 Guineas Stakes in 1843, when he rode Extempore at age 57. He had training stables of his own at Newmarket where, with his brother William, he had the care of Mr. Thornhill's and Lord Darlington's horses. The two brothers also had a small stud of their own but this led them into financial difficulties, and the horses had to be sold in June 1834. At Mr. Thornhill's death in 1843, he left Chifney his Newmarket house and stables. Chifney lived there until November 1851, when he moved to Hove, Brighton; he died there on 29 August 1854. Their sister married Mr. Butler, and became the mother of well-known jockey Frank Butler.

References

1. ^ Patents 1805, No. 2809

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Chifney, Samuel". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

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Name	Chifney, Samuel
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Date of birth	1753
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Date of death	1807
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