Martin Becher
Encyclopedia
Martin William Becher was a former soldier and steeplechase
jockey
in whose memory the infamous Becher's Brook
obstacle at Aintree Racecourse
is named.
, stationed in Belgium
at the time of the Battle of Waterloo
, though historical claims that he saw active service in the battle are thought to be without foundation.
, but the few demands placed upon him within this role allowed him a great deal of time to pursue his passion of cross country riding.
During his riding career, Becher won almost every race of note during the 1820s and 30s including the Aylesbury
Chase, Cheltenham
Steeplechase, Leamington Chase and Great St Albans
. It was the last of these races that inspired him to put the idea of a great cross country chase to racecourse owner and friend William Lynn. Becher was a regular visitor to Liverpool
and Lynn's racecourse at Aintree
, famously winning there with the horse with which the public most readily associated him, Vivian.
On one occasion the pair discussed a 'Great Chase of the North' with the result that Lynn staged the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase in 1836. Fittingly, Becher not only took part but won the race upon a local horse, The Duke
, in the lilac and white colours of Mr. Sirdefield.
The event would go on to become known as the Grand National
, although Becher's victory in 1836 was disregarded by future generations as merely a precursor to the first official running in 1839
.
Becher was already considering retirement from race riding at the age of forty, before lining up for this event on Conrad and set off at the head of the field. Upon reaching the first major obstacle on the course, the first of two brooks, Conrad dug his heels in, hurling Becher over his head and into the brook beyond. Becher lay in the water until his rivals had all thundered over the brook, before climbing out thoroughly soaked and cursing how he hadn't realised how filthy water tasted without the benefits of whisky. He remounted and set off in pursuit, only to be parted from his mount again at the second brook. Becher never again took part in the event but his name was given to the first brook (the sixth and twenty-second fence in the modern National) and has ensured his eternal fame.
, and they had two sons, Martin John King Becher and Dr. George Tobin Dashwood Becher.
Becher was a very popular conversationalist and story-teller and was famed for his party trick of leaping onto a mantelpiece from a standing jump.
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in whose memory the infamous Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the sixth and 22nd fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year...
obstacle at Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
is named.
Military career
Becher first served in the military during the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, stationed in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
at the time of the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, though historical claims that he saw active service in the battle are thought to be without foundation.
Racing career
Upon being released from service, Becher took a commission as a Captain in the Buckinghamshire YeomanryRoyal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry
The Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry was formed in 1794, when King George III was on the throne and William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister, of Great Britain. Across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation which had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a...
, but the few demands placed upon him within this role allowed him a great deal of time to pursue his passion of cross country riding.
During his riding career, Becher won almost every race of note during the 1820s and 30s including the Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
Chase, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
Steeplechase, Leamington Chase and Great St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
. It was the last of these races that inspired him to put the idea of a great cross country chase to racecourse owner and friend William Lynn. Becher was a regular visitor to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Lynn's racecourse at Aintree
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....
, famously winning there with the horse with which the public most readily associated him, Vivian.
On one occasion the pair discussed a 'Great Chase of the North' with the result that Lynn staged the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase in 1836. Fittingly, Becher not only took part but won the race upon a local horse, The Duke
The Duke (racehorse)
The Duke was a racehorse that won the first Great Liverpool Steeplechase at Aintree, which would be later renamed the Grand National. His rider was Captain Martin Becher after whom the famous fence Becher's Brook was named...
, in the lilac and white colours of Mr. Sirdefield.
The event would go on to become known as the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
, although Becher's victory in 1836 was disregarded by future generations as merely a precursor to the first official running in 1839
1839 Grand National
The 1839 Grand Liverpool Steeplechase was the first official annual running of a steeplechase which later became known as the Grand National.It was held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 26 February 1839 and attracted a field of seventeen runners.Although recorded by the press at...
.
Becher was already considering retirement from race riding at the age of forty, before lining up for this event on Conrad and set off at the head of the field. Upon reaching the first major obstacle on the course, the first of two brooks, Conrad dug his heels in, hurling Becher over his head and into the brook beyond. Becher lay in the water until his rivals had all thundered over the brook, before climbing out thoroughly soaked and cursing how he hadn't realised how filthy water tasted without the benefits of whisky. He remounted and set off in pursuit, only to be parted from his mount again at the second brook. Becher never again took part in the event but his name was given to the first brook (the sixth and twenty-second fence in the modern National) and has ensured his eternal fame.
Personal life
Becher was the son of William Becher and Harriet Martina Thompson. He married Susan Dobree on 14 August 1825 at St. Marylebone, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and they had two sons, Martin John King Becher and Dr. George Tobin Dashwood Becher.
Becher was a very popular conversationalist and story-teller and was famed for his party trick of leaping onto a mantelpiece from a standing jump.