John Wells (jockey)
John Wells (1833–1873), nicknamed Tiny Wells or Brusher Wells, was a Warwickshire-born British flat racing Champion Jockey of the Victorian era. Career Apprentice He was apprenticed to the stable of Mr Flintoff in Hednesford while in his teens. There, he earned the nickname 'Tiny' on account of his small stature, even though he eventually became one of the tallest jockeys in the weighing room. He was also known as 'Brusher', but it is not known where this nickname came from. His first victory came in 1848 in the Birmingham Stakes at the now defunct Walsall Racecourse on a horse called Ribaldry. Full professional He became the retained jockey for Sir Joseph Hawley and was therefore most often found riding for that owner's trainer, George Manning, who was based at Cannons Heath, near Kingsclere, Berkshire. Early on in his professional career, he suffered a serious accident while riding the mare Freedom in the Earl Spencer's Plate at Northampton in April 1852. As two horses closed on her to overtake, she crossed her legs and fell, breaking her back and dying instantly. Wells himself was left with severe concussion. Despite this setback, he topped the jockeys' championship in 1853 with 86 winners,