page_title: Fred Archer (jockey)
section_title: 1880s
hierarchical_section_title: Fred Archer (jockey) / Career / 1880s
caption_attribution_description: English: Rosa Corder, Fred Archer (1857 –1886), Restrike etching - made before artist's death in 1893
context_page_description: Frederick James Archer, also known by the nickname The Tin Man, was an English flat race jockey of the Victorian era, described as "the best all-round jockey that the turf has ever seen".
  He was Champion Jockey for 13 consecutive years until 1886, riding 2,748 winners from 8,084 starts, in so doing setting records for the number of Champion Jockey titles, number of wins in a season and number of race wins which remained unthreatened until the arrival of Steve Donoghue and Sir Gordon Richards well into the 20th century.
  Delirious from wasting and the loss of his wife during childbirth, he committed suicide at the age of 29.
context_section_description: By the 1880s, his annual income was around £10,000, made up of retainers, gifts from owners and gamblers, and nearly £2,500 in riding fees.
  Archer's win on Dutch Oven in the St Leger caused controversy. It had been presumed that the filly had not stayed the distance when losing the Great Yorkshire Stakes at York, so she was sent off at odds of 40/1 for the Leger. When she won, Archer was accused of pulling the horse at York to get longer odds for the Leger. In fact, Archer had not wanted to ride Dutch Oven in the race at all, preferring the John Porter-trained Geheimniss.
  Falmouth withdrew from racing in 1883. It has been suggested that this was prompted by a suspicion that Archer pulled Galliard in the Derby, being beaten into third by St Blaise and Highland Chief. Archer was accused of not showing the same will to win that he had on Bend Or or Iroquois, and Highland Chief was trained by his brother Charles, which seemed to be circumstantial evidence of his guilt. Against this, Fred had no previous history of helping his brother in this way, and Charles had once sent him through the rails when riding against him. It seems highly unlikely Archer would have thrown the Derby in this way.
  Retainers with the Duke of Portland and Lord Hastings brought him a combined £2,000 per year, the Duke of Westminster £1,000, and Lord Alington £500.
  He married Rose Nellie Dawson, eldest daughter of John Dawson, on 31 January 1883 at All Saints' Church in Newmarket. It was called the celebrity wedding of the decade. The whole town was involved, and it concluded with a firework display which had spelled out "May they be happy”.
  In January 1884, the couple's infant son, William, died at birth. He had been named after Archer's brother, who had been killed in a hurdle race at Cheltenham. Nellie was left in a critical condition but recovered to become pregnant again almost immediately. On 6 November 1884, she gave birth to a daughter, also Nellie. Fred received a telegram about the birth after riding Thebais to victory in the Liverpool Cup. But the mother was again left dangerously ill after the birth, with symptoms of post-natal eclampsia. Archer arrived home to find his wife was dying. Her convulsions continued until she died. Archer later told a friend, “She did not know me and never spoke to me again."
  In 1884, on his only visit to Thirsk Racecourse, his arrival was announced in the market place by the town crier. He had only two rides, but both won Jovial for Tom Green in the High-weight Selling Handicap and Laverock for Matt Dawson in the Sixth Great Yorkshire Foal Stakes. That year, of 377 rides, he won 241.
  His most successful year was probably 1885, when he won the 2,000 Guineas on Paradox, the Oaks on Lonely, the Derby and St. Leger on Melton, and the Grand Prix, also on Paradox. In his final season, he won the Derby and St. Leger on Ormonde.
  Archer took his sport very seriously and was noted for his ruthlessness. In 1882, he built Falmouth Lodge and Stables (now Pegasus Stables).
  In 1885, he rode 246 winners, a record that was unbroken until Gordon Richards' 1933 season. He won The Derby five times and won a total of 21 classic races. In total, he rode 2,748 winners in 8,084 races (some sources say 8,004), a win percentage of over 34%.
caption: Rosa Corder, Fred Archer, Restrike etching
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