John Eric Longden (February 14, 1907 – February 14, 2003), known as Johnny Longden, was an English-born American jockey and trainer in Thoroughbred racing. He rode from 1927 to 1966 and retired with 6,032 wins, then the world record for a jockey.[1][2] In 1943, he rode Count Fleet to victory in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, completing the U.S. Triple Crown.[1][3]
After retiring from riding, Longden became a trainer. He trained Majestic Prince, winner of the 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and became the first person to win the Kentucky Derby as both a jockey and a trainer.[1][4]
Longden was North America's leading jockey by wins in 1938, 1947, and 1948, and by earnings in 1943 and 1945.[1] He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1958, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1958, and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1976.[1][5][6]
Early life
editLongden was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, on February 14, 1907.[1] His father, Herb Longden, was a coal miner, and his mother, Mary Longden, raised the family.[7] Herb Longden emigrated to Canada in 1909 and settled in Taber, Alberta, where he worked in the coal mines.[5] Longden, his mother, and his three sisters followed in 1912.[5][8]
A family story held that Longden, his mother, and sisters had been booked to travel on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, but missed the ship because of a delayed train to Southampton.[8][7] The family instead traveled later and joined Herb Longden in Alberta.[8]
Longden grew up in Taber, a mining and farming community in southern Alberta. He had limited formal education and worked in the coal mines as a teenager.[7][5] He later said he entered racing because it looked easier than digging coal.[8] He learned horsemanship through informal riding and local racing, including Roman-style riding in which a rider stands across two horses.[8]
Riding career
editEarly career
editLongden began riding at local and bush tracks in western Canada before leaving for the United States in 1927.[8][5] He rode his first recognized race on October 4, 1927, at Salt Lake City and won aboard Hugo K. Asher, a 16-1 shot.[8] He later became a leading rider in California, where racing expanded during the 1930s.[2][1]
Longden was small even by jockey standards, standing about 4 feet 11 inches.[5] His riding style earned him the nickname "The Pumper", a reference to his crouched, driving motion in the saddle.[9][10]
By the late 1930s, Longden had become one of the leading riders in North America. He led the continent in wins in 1938 and later repeated that title in 1947 and 1948.[1] He also led by earnings in 1943 and 1945.[1]
Count Fleet and the 1943 Triple Crown
editLongden's best-known mount was Count Fleet, a son of Reigh Count owned by Fannie Hertz and trained by Don Cameron.[3] John D. Hertz considered selling Count Fleet as a young horse because the colt was difficult and dangerous, but Longden urged him not to give up on the horse.[3][8] Longden later called Count Fleet the best horse he ever rode.[8]
Count Fleet won the 1943 Kentucky Derby by three lengths, the Preakness by eight lengths, and the Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths.[8][10] Longden rode him in all three races.[1] Count Fleet's Belmont margin stood as the largest in the race's history until Secretariat won by 31 lengths in 1973.[8] Count Fleet also won the Withers Stakes between the Preakness and Belmont.[8]
Longden did not use the whip on Count Fleet in any of the colt's 21 starts.[8] His handling of the horse emphasized quick breaks, early speed, and control from the front.[8]
Major mounts and races
editLongden rode many leading American racehorses of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. His major mounts included Hall of Fame horses Count Fleet, Busher, Noor, Swaps, and Whirlaway, along with T.V. Lark, Your Host, Real Good Deal, Four-and-Twenty, On Trust, and George Royal.[1]
Longden won the Santa Anita Handicap four times as a rider: with Thumbs Up in 1945, Noor in 1950, Moonrush in 1951, and Bobby Brocato in 1956.[1][8] His victory aboard Noor in the 1950 Santa Anita Handicap was part of Noor's series of races against Citation.[1] He also won the Hollywood Gold Cup four times and the Santa Anita Derby five times as a jockey.[1]
Longden's California career included rides on Swaps, the 1955 Kentucky Derby winner. Longden rode Swaps to victory in the 1955 Santa Anita Derby, while Bill Shoemaker rode the colt in the Kentucky Derby.[1] Longden also won major races with George Royal, a Canadian-bred horse who later became central to Longden's final race.[6][11]
World wins record
editLongden became the world's winningest jockey at Del Mar Racetrack in 1956 when he broke the record of 4,870 victories held by British jockey Sir Gordon Richards.[1][12] Longden entered the 1956 Del Mar Handicap program needing three wins to pass Richards. He won two races earlier on the card to tie the record, then broke it aboard Arrogate in the Del Mar Handicap.[12] Arrogate won by a nose and set a track record of 1:47 for 11⁄8 miles.[12]
Longden rode his 5,000th winner in 1957 and later became the first jockey to reach 6,000 victories.[13] He held the all-time wins record until Bill Shoemaker passed him in 1970.[8][2]
Final ride
editLongden retired from riding in 1966 at age 59.[1] His final ride came on March 12, 1966, in the San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita Park aboard George Royal.[14][2] George Royal won by a nose over Plaque, giving Longden his 6,032nd victory in his 32,413th and final mount.[14][2] The finish was later commemorated in an oil painting displayed at Santa Anita.[14]
Riding style and reputation
editLongden's nickname, "The Pumper", came from his distinctive, active riding motion.[9] His tactical reputation was based especially on speed, gate breaks, and controlling races from the front.[8] He believed that a length at the start was as valuable as a length at the finish.[8]
Longden was also known for durability and longevity. He rode until age 59 and remained productive long after most jockeys had retired.[1][15] Bill Shoemaker later called Longden one of the greatest riders of all time and said he could have taught later riders new lessons.[10]
California jockey Jerry Lambert said Longden would send a horse early and then make it difficult for rivals to close ground.[8] His approach was especially effective on front-running horses and mounts with early speed.[8]
Jockeys' Guild
editLongden was a founding member of the Jockeys' Guild, which was organized in 1940 to improve conditions and protections for riders.[16][9] The Guild pushed for insurance, safer working conditions, ambulances at racetracks, improved jockey-room sanitation, higher mount fees, and other reforms affecting riders.[16]
Training career
editAfter retiring from riding, Longden became a trainer. He trained his first winner with Attention III at Hollywood Park on May 11, 1966, with Bill Shoemaker riding.[17] He remained active as a trainer until 1990.[8]
Longden's most important horse as a trainer was Majestic Prince, a chestnut colt by Raise a Native out of Gay Hostess, bred by Leslie Combs II and owned by Canadian oilman Frank McMahon.[4] McMahon purchased Majestic Prince for $250,000 at the 1967 Keeneland July yearling sale and sent him to Longden.[4]
Majestic Prince won both of his starts as a two-year-old in 1968, then won the Los Feliz Stakes, San Vicente Stakes, San Jacinto Stakes, and Santa Anita Derby early in 1969.[4] He entered the 1969 Kentucky Derby unbeaten and won by a neck over Arts and Letters.[4] He then defeated Arts and Letters again in the Preakness Stakes, winning by a head after a claim of foul was disallowed.[4][18]
Majestic Prince's Triple Crown attempt ended in the 1969 Belmont Stakes, where Arts and Letters defeated him by 51⁄2 lengths.[4] Longden had been reluctant to run the colt in the Belmont because Majestic Prince showed signs of fatigue after the Preakness, but McMahon decided to continue with the Triple Crown attempt.[8][19] The Belmont was Majestic Prince's only defeat and final race.[4] He retired with nine wins and one second from ten starts and earnings of $414,200.[4]
Longden retired from training in 1990 with 370 victories.[8]
Ownership and family stable
editLongden was also involved in ownership. He operated Alberta Ranches Ltd. with Frank McMahon, Wilder H. Ripley, and Max Bell, friends and business associates from Alberta.[6] The partnership raced horses in California and maintained Canadian ties through its ownership and breeding interests.[6]
His wife Hazel Longden became a licensed trainer and owned horses. On January 28, 1971, Hazel Longden became the first woman to train a stakes winner at Santa Anita when Diplomatic Agent won the San Vicente Stakes.[8] Longden's sons Vance and Eric Longden also became Thoroughbred trainers.[8][20]
Harness racing
editLongden had a brief association with Standardbred racing. In 1954, he owned a Standardbred horse and drove him to victory in a race at Sportsman's Park in Phoenix, Arizona.[21]
Media and public profile
editLongden appeared in the 1957 I Love Lucy episode "Lucy and the Loving Cup", along with his wife Hazel.[22] The episode used Longden's status as the winningest jockey in history as part of the plot, with Ricky Ricardo scheduled to present him a trophy at a nightclub ceremony.[22]
Longden was also the subject of magazine and newspaper profiles. Life photographed him in the early 1950s as he approached and surpassed 4,000 career wins.[15]
Personal life
editLongden was married three times. His first wife was Helen McDonald, with whom he had a son, Vance Longden.[8][20] He later married Hazel Tarn Longden, who became a licensed trainer and worked in racing with him.[8] Hazel died in 1989.[8] Longden married Kathy Longden in 1993.[8]
Longden had a son, Eric Longden, and a daughter, Andrea Longden, with Hazel.[8] Vance Longden, his son from his first marriage, died in January 2003, shortly before Johnny Longden's death.[8][20] Both Vance and Eric trained horses.[8]
Longden was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[7]
Death
editLongden suffered a stroke in August 2002 and was bedridden during the final months of his life.[13][8] He died in his sleep at his home in Banning, California, on February 14, 2003, his 96th birthday.[8][2]
Honors and legacy
editLongden was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1958, the same year as Eddie Arcaro and Bill Shoemaker.[1] He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1958 and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1976.[5][6] He received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1952, the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award in 1985, and a Special Eclipse Award in 1994.[1][6]
Santa Anita Park honors Longden with a life-size bust, along with busts of other major jockeys including Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr.[1] Longden Avenue in Arcadia, California, was named for him, and the Longden Turf Course at Bay Meadows also carried his name.[6]
Longden's career is especially associated with two achievements: riding Count Fleet to the 1943 Triple Crown and becoming the first person to win the Kentucky Derby as both a jockey and a trainer.[1][4]
Career statistics
edit| Category | Total | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Career | 1927–1966 | [1] |
| Mounts | 32,413 | [2][14] |
| Wins | 6,032 | [1] |
| Win percentage | 18.6% | [1] |
| North American wins titles | 1938, 1947, 1948 | [1] |
| North American earnings titles | 1943, 1945 | [1] |
| Category | Total | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Career | 1966–1990 | [8] |
| Wins | 370 | [8] |
| Kentucky Derby wins | 1 | [1][4] |
| Preakness Stakes wins | 1 | [1][4] |
Further reading
edit- Beckwith, Brainerd Kellogg (1973). The Longden Legend. South Brunswick, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes. ISBN 978-0498012426.
- Drager, Marvin (2005). The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America's Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 9781572437241.
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 "John Longden". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Privman, Jay (February 14, 2003). "Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden dead". ESPN. Daily Racing Form. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Count Fleet". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Majestic Prince". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Johnny Longden". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. March 3, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "John Longden". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Longden, John Eric ("Johnny")". Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Charles Scribner's Sons. Retrieved July 8, 2026 – via Encyclopedia.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Christine, Bill (February 15, 2003). "You Could Get to Him, You Couldn't Get by Him". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Count Fleet". New York Racing Association. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Harris, Beth (February 14, 2003). "Hall of Fame Jockey Johnny Longden Dies". Associated Press. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ "George Royal". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 O'Ser, Jack (July 23, 2024). "Del Mar History: The 'Other Arrogate' and Longden's World Record". America's Best Racing. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden has stroke". ESPN. Associated Press. August 18, 2002. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Christine, Bill (March 12, 1991). "Leaving in Style". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "Johnny Longden: Giant in the Saddle". Life. June 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "Our History". Jockeys' Guild. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ Pitt, Chris. "Johnny Longden". Jockeypedia. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ "A Preakness for a Price". The New Yorker. May 24, 1969. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ "The Prince at Belmont". The New Yorker. May 31, 1969. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Retired California Trainer Vance Longden Dead". BloodHorse. January 8, 2003. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Longden Adapt in Sulky". Daily Racing Form. University of Kentucky Libraries. June 12, 1954. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "Lucy and the Loving Cup". IMDb. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
External links
edit- John Longden at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- Johnny Longden at The Canadian Encyclopedia
- John Longden at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
- "Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden dead" by Jay Privman, ESPN / Daily Racing Form
- "Johnny Longden: Giant in the Saddle" at Life
- Count Fleet at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- Majestic Prince at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame