Arthur Ewell Redfern (October 4, 1885 – May 8, 1917) was an American

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

who in 1903 was the highest paid rider in the United States.

Riding career

Arthur Redfern made his reputation riding in

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during 1901. After he relocated to New York that fall the ''

Daily Racing Form The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of rac ...

'' reported he had been besieged by offers from various owners. Redfern cemented his reputation through his performance during the 1902 New York racing season when he rode for the Pepper Stable. In their November 11, 1902, issue, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote that Redfern was regarded by many American turfmen as the best jockey in the United States. The newspaper reported that right of first call for Redfern's services in 1903 had been purchased from stable owner Col. James E. Pepper by

William Collins Whitney William Collins Whitney (July 5, 1841February 2, 1904) was an American political leader and financier and a prominent member of the Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first administration of President Grover Cleveland from ...

with the right to second call secured by

James Ben Ali Haggin James Ben Ali Haggin (December 9, 1822 – September 12, 1914) was an American attorney, rancher, investor, art collector, and a major owner and breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. Haggin made a fortune in the aftermath of the C ...

. On April 23, 1903, Redfern was seriously injured in a racing accident at the Old Aqueduct Racetrack. Sidelined until June 12, the accident significantly affected Redfern's performance on his return to racing and by October 18 a newspaper story virtually dismissed him as a has-been. Nonetheless, by December 13 the ''

Chicago Daily Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN radio and WGN tel ...

'' reported that he was the second leading jockey on the East Coast circuit. In 1904 Arthur Redfern had a very good year in racing. During the early months of the year he raced in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Back in New York for the summer season, he won major events such as the

Saratoga Special Stakes The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first ru ...

and the most important race in the United States open to older horses, the

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes (also known Suburban Handicap) is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $350,000 pu ...

Sheepshead Bay Race Track The Sheepshead Bay Race Track was an American thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York. Early history The racetrack was built by a grou ...

. The June 17 ''

Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in Atlanta metropolitan area, metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Jo ...

'' wrote that Redfern gave Hermis a "perfect ride" in winning the Suburban Handicap. Although battling

weight gain Weight gain is an increase in body weight. This can involve an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits, excess fluids such as water or other factors. Weight gain can be a symptom of a serious medical condition. Description Weight gain occurs ...

, in 1905 Arthur Redfern won his second consecutive Saratoga Special Stakes and a top race for two-year-olds, the Futurity Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Race Track. Redfern suffered a broken arm in an automobile accident in the early fall of 1905 that kept him out of racing for the rest of the year. For months, American newspapers carried stories filled with speculation that Redfern would move to

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to race where weight limits were higher. and the January 30, 1906 ''

San Jose Evening News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidia ...

'' stated that if Arthur Redfern did not sign to ride for James R. Keene, he would probably race in France. However, Redfern raced in New York in the first part of 1906 and, still battling

, in November he followed fellow jockey

Willie Knapp William J. Knapp (August 21, 1888 – October 26, 1972) was an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He was known for racing horses such as Exterminator and Sun Briar. He became the jockey for Exterminator in the 1918 Kentucky D ...

as well as notable trainers such as

Sam Hildreth Samuel Clay Hildreth (May 16, 1866 – September 24, 1929) was an American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame horse trainer, trainer and owner.Charles Durnell to race during the winter months in

Racetrack shareholder

In 1906, Arthur Redfern and fellow jockey Jack Martin became founding minority shareholders of the Montreal Jockey Club which built the new Blue Bonnets Raceway in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, that opened in 1907.

Retirement

In 1907, Arthur Redfern was out of racing, ending a short but brilliant career in which he rode for other top stable owners such as Richard T. Wilson, Jr., John Sanford, and James R. Keene. As reported by the ''

San Francisco Call ''The San Francisco Call'' was a newspaper that served San Francisco, California. Because of a succession of mergers with other newspapers, the paper variously came to be called ''The San Francisco Call & Post'', the ''San Francisco Call-Bulleti ...

'' of November 7, 1907, that said he was working as a chauffeur for trainer/owner Charles Durnell. The April 12, 1908, issue of the ''

'' reported that Redfern had spent the winter in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and was planning to buy a string of horses to race. Although

The Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, among ...

issued Redfern a certificate of good standing in August 1908, it appears he did not ride again.

Death

Arthur Redfern died at the

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

hospital on May 8, 1917, as a result of an automobile accident three days earlier in which his wife was seriously injured but survived.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Redfern, Arthur E. 1885 births 1917 deaths Road incident deaths in New York City American jockeys