Robert "Bobby" Jones (c. 1913 – March 9, 1938) was an American two-time National Champion

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 ...

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 ...

. From

San Ysidro, California San Ysidro ( Californio Spanish for for " St. Isidore", ) is a district of San Diego, California, immediately north of the Mexico–United States border. It neighbors Otay Mesa West to the north, Otay Mesa to the east, and Nestor and the Ti ...

, Bobby Jones was the son of Alfred L. Jones, who was involved in horse racing and who raised

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

s. Bobby Jones rode professionally at

Agua Caliente Racetrack Agua means water in Spanish. Agua may also refer to: Places * ''Agua de Dios'' (God's water), a municipality in Colombia * Volcán de Agua, a stratovolcano located in Guatemala Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Agua'' (film), a 2006 Argentin ...

Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

but rose to prominence riding at racetracks in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. In 1931 he was a contract jockey for the stable of Mrs. Emil Denemark, and others, and was the leading jockey at

Arlington Park Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Once called the ''Arlington Park Jockey Club'', it was located adjacent to the Illinois Rou ...

. The August 8, 1932, issue of 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 ...

'' wrote that Jones was considered "one of the greatest jockeys ever to come out of the west." The December 26, 1932, issue of the ''Tribune'' reported that he had signed a contract with racing stable owner Willis Sharpe Kilmer that could earn him $50,000 in 1933

While he met with little success riding for the Kilmer stable, Jones had also signed to ride for the Whitney family, Whitney family's famous

Greentree Stable Greentree Stable, in Red Bank, New Jersey, was a major American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm established in 1914 by Payne Whitney of the Whitney family of New York City. Payne Whitney operated a horse farm and stable at Sa ...

in 1933. That year, he led all jockeys in the United States in purse money won, finishing ahead of greats such as

Silvio Coucci Silvio Coucci (1914 – January 5, 1942) was an American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. A New Yorker, in 1931 Silvio Coucci rode Thoroughbreds at Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico under contract with brothers ...

Charlie Kurtsinger Charles Kurtsinger (November 16, 1906 – September 24, 1946) was an American Hall of Fame and National Champion jockey who won the Triple Crown in 1937. Known as "Charley" and nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman", Kurtsinger was born in Shepherdsvil ...

Raymond Workman Raymond "Sonny" Workman (May 24, 1909 – August 21, 1966) was an American National Champion and Hall of Fame jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. During his fifteen years as a professional rider from 1926 through 1940, he won an exceptional twen ...

, Wayne Wright, and

Mack Garner Andrew Mack Garner (December 23, 1898 – October 28, 1936) was an American jockey who won the 1934 Kentucky Derby as well as the 1929 and 1933 Belmont Stakes. He was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1969. Mack Garner ...

. Bobby Jones made three straight appearances in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

between 1933 and 1935 but finished off the board each time. In 1934 he rode for Isabel Dodge Sloane's

Brookmeade Stable Brookmeade Stable was a thoroughbred horse racing stable owned by Dodge automobile heiress and socialite Isabel Dodge Sloane. Sloane first won using the name Brookmeade Stable at the Manly Memorial Steeplechase at Pimlico in 1924. In 1929, Sloa ...

and for Liz Whitney. His 1934 successes included a win aboard

High Quest High Quest (1931–1948) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1934 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series of races. Background Sir Gallahad III, the sire of High Quest, had been purchase ...

in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series. Following the building of

Santa Anita Racetrack Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

in 1934, Bobby Jones returned to ride in California where he won the 1936

Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap The Santa Margarita Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one and one-eighths mil ...

. In 1937 he was competing at

Tanforan Racetrack Tanforan Racetrack, also known as Tanforan Park, was a thoroughbred horse racing facility in San Bruno on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It operated from November 4, 1899, to 1964. The horse racing track and buildings were constructe ...

San Bruno, California San Bruno () is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, incorporated in 1914. The population was 43,908 at the 2020 United States census. The city is between South San Francisco, California, South San Francisco and Millbrae, Cali ...

, when he was severely injured in a fall. Although he later returned to racing on a limited basis, Jones never fully recovered and in a weakened condition died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on March 9, 1938, at his parents' home in San Ysidro.

References

TIME magazine obituary for Bobby Jones
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Robert 1912 births 1938 deaths American jockeys American Champion jockeys Sportspeople from San Diego Jockeys from California Deaths from pneumonia in California