Charles E. "Charlie" Burr (May 14, 1934 – September 16, 2008) was an American National Champion

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the 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 known as National Hunt racing in ...

jockey. In 1951, he became the seventh jockey in American Thoroughbred racing history to ride 300 or more winners in a single year.

Early career

Charlie Burr was raised on a farm at

Arkansas City, Kansas Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. The n ...

where he learned to ride horses at an early age. By age eleven he was competing and winning Quarter-Horse races. He rode for his uncle, Clarence ("Shorty") Burr, in races in his native Kansas as well as in

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, Oklahoma, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He rode professionally for twenty-nine years at Thoroughbred racetracks in

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, the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as the

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Achievements

In 1951, Charlie Burr led all American jockeys with 310 wins. That Championship year included fourteen times when he won four or more races on a single

racecard A racecard is a printed card used in horse racing giving information about races, principally the horses running in each particular race. Racecards are often given in newspapers. Also known as a race book, which in this case is a small booklet ...

including three of which he had five wins. In 1953, he won six races on a single racecard at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meet ...

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, a record that stood for forty-two years. That same year he won the first of his two Gulfstream Park riding titles. Among Burr's major race wins, in 1958 he won the Continental Turf Handicap at

Washington Park Race Track Washington Park Race Track was a popular horse racing venue in the Chicago metropolitan area from 1884 until 1977. It had two locations during its existence. It was first situated in what is the current location of the Washington Park Subdiv ...

aboard Ada L. Rice's Hoop Band in a time that equaled the American record for six furlongs. In 1962, Burr rode

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to wins in the Trenton Handicap at

Garden State Park Racetrack Garden State Park was a harness and thoroughbred race track in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey. It is now the site of a high-end, mixed-use "town center" development of stores, restaurants, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums. Garde ...

, the

United Nations Handicap The United Nations Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The e ...

Atlantic City Race Course The Atlantic City Race Course (ACRC), formerly the Atlantic City Race Track, was a Thoroughbred horse race track located in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The track is located off t ...

and the Lexington Handicap at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

. As well, Charlie Burr had two mounts in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also 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 ...

, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series. He ran fourth in 1953 aboard Ram o' War and was fifth in 1963 on Sky Wonder.

Injury

An accident while exercising a horse at Maryland's

Bowie Race Track The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. The one mile oval racetrack, known as Prince George's Park, was opened October 1, 1914 under the auspices of the Southern Maryland Agricultura ...

left Burr partially paralyzed and he would need a wheelchair for the next twenty-six years until he became bedridden in 2006. Burr remained good friends with the 1973 U.S. Triple Crown winning-jockey

Ron Turcotte Ronald Joseph Morel "Ronnie" Turcotte, (born July 22, 1941) is a retired Canadian thoroughbred race horse jockey best known as the rider of Secretariat, winner of the U.S. Triple Crown in 1973. Career Turcotte began his career in Toronto as ...

who also needed to use a wheelchair since 1978 as a result of a racing accident. Charlie Burr died on September 16, 2008 in Arkansas City at age 74. He was survived by his wife Mildred whom he met while racing in her hometown of

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

.http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/September/17/Retired-jockey-Burr-dies-in-Arkansas-City.aspx September 17, 2008 ''Thoroughbred Times'' obituary for Charlie Burr

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burr, Charles E. 1934 births 2008 deaths American jockeys American Champion jockeys People from Arkansas City, Kansas