Pete Bostwick
Encyclopedia
George Herbert "Pete" Bostwick (August 14, 1909 - January 13, 1982) was an American
court tennis
player, a steeplechase
jockey
and horse trainer
, and an eight-goal polo
player.
to Mary L. Stokes and Albert Carlton Bostwick. His grandfather, Jabez A. Bostwick
, was a founder and treasurer of the Standard Oil Company of New York
and a partner of John D. Rockefeller
. His grandmother, Helen C. Bostwick, left upon her death in April 1920 a sum of $1,156,818 to him and similar amounts to his siblings. Among his cousins were the cross-dressing woman speedboat racer "Joe" a/k/a Betty Carstairs
and the pilot Francis Francis.
Pete Bostwick's inherited wealth afforded him the opportunity to pursue a number of sporting interests. His father was a horseman and polo
player and Pete Bostwick become one of a leading steeplechase
owners, trainers, and riders. Pete Bostwick was a member of The Jockey Club
and a patron of the National Tennis Club
.
He rode Thoroughbred
steeplechase horses from 1927 to 1949 both in the US and Grand National
in the UK and also rode in flat racing
. In flat racing he finished 4th in the 1928 running of the Belmont Stakes
aboard Whisk Broom, owned by his uncle F. Ambrose Clark
.
At Belmont Park
in 1932 he became the second jockey (after Jockey W. C. ("Bill") Clancy in 1895) ever to ride a flat and steeplechase winner on the same day a feat which he repeated again within two weeks. Initially he rode to victory at Belmont Park aboard Thomas Hitchcock's Silverskin in a steeplechase and Latin Stables' Ha Ha
in a flat race on the same day. Then repeated the feat two weeks later in the Metropolitan Driving Club, a 1-1/16-mi. flat race on J. F. Byers' Glaneur then won the Chamblet Memorial steeplechase on Mrs. Ambrose Clark's Madrigal II the same day.
As a trainer, in 1962 Bostwick became the first steeplechase trainer to have horses win more than $1 million in a single year. His horses were voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase horse
on six occasions: Oedipus
(1950, 1951), Neji
(1955, 1957, 1958), both of whom were voted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame
, and Ancestor won the Eclipse Award in 1959.
Bostwick was a resident of Old Westbury, Long Island
, Gilbertsville, New York
and Aiken, South Carolina
. First riding at the age of 7 his horseman roots were at the famed Aiken Preparatory School
where his aunt, Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock
known as the "mother of U. S. polo", taught him and many leading polo players of the era their skill. His talents attested to ultimately reaching an eight-goal rating. "Polo for the Public" was his motto at the Bostwick Field on Long Island, New York and polo for a purse was also inaugurated there. In his later years he maintained an immaculate polo field and stables [extant today] at his sprawling farm in Gilbertsville, New York
under the name of Village Farms.
Pete skipped attending college remarking: "There is no use sitting in school when one can sit on a horse and go somewhere."
At the wedding, at Roslyn, Long Island, NY, the rector of the Parish Church presided. The bride wore a white satin gown cut in simple lines, with a long train. Her veil fell to the end of the train from a cap held in place by small white orchids. Her bouquet was of white orchids with pendant buds on satin ribbons.
Mrs. Lewis T. Preston of Jericho was matron of honour and Miss Georgette Whelan was maid of honour. The other attendants were Miss Pauline Curtis, younger sister of the bride, who was flower girl; and Miss Helen Whitney Bourne, Miss Lila Vanderbilt Webb, Miss Janet White of Providence, RI; Mrs. Philip Inglehart and Mrs. Benjamin C. Bettner Jr.
Albert C. Bostwick was best man for his brother and the ushers included Dunbar W. Bostwick, another brother, Robert V. McKim, a brother-in-law, Stewart Inglehart, Philip Inglehart, Lyman Wright, Stephen Clack Jr, Robert L. Gerry Jr, John R. Fell and James F. Curtis Jr, brother of the bride.
After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Bostwick were driven to the reception at Willowmere, the country home of the bride's parents at Roslyn Harbour, overlooking the water, in the historic black and yellow coach, drawn by four horses and trotted by Mr. Bostwick's uncle, F. Ambrose Clark
of Westbury.
The report of the divorce reads under the heading "Bostwicks are Divorced - Wife receives custody of the 3 children at Reno", and it is datelined Reno, Nev 11 April 1949. Mrs. Laura Curtis Bostwick of New York received a divorce here to-day from George H. (Pete) Bostwick the well known gentleman jockey on the grounds of mental cruelty. Mrs. Bostwick had filed a cross complaint to that of her husband, who last week charged extreme mental cruelty. An agreement gives Mrs. Bostwick custody of their three children, George H. Jr, James and Laura, and a property settlement provides for their support.
His sister Lillian Bostwick
married renowned horseman, Ogden Phipps
. His brother, Dunbar, was also active in amateur polo and held a six-goal handicap. In the 1930s, Pete, Dunbar, and Lillian built and operated Bostwick Field in Old Westbury, New York where international polo matches were held. Pete Bostwick's name is engraved six times on the U.S. Open Championship trophy.
At the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum
there is a permanent exhibit dedicated to his accomplishments. In 1968 Pete Bostwick was inducted into the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
and following its formation, posthumously into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
in 1996. In 2006, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
.
Pete Bostwick died of a heart attack in 1982 while playing polo. He was survived by his wife, Dolly Von Stade Bostwick (1921–1998), four sons and three daughters.
Son Pete Jr. was one of the best and most versatile amateur sportsmen in American history who won two National squash
titles and hard racquets
Open Championships and who also excelled at golf
, ice hockey
, court tennis
and Lawn Tennis
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
court tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
player, a steeplechase
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
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:...
and horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
, and an eight-goal polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player.
Biography
He was born in Bisby Lake, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Mary L. Stokes and Albert Carlton Bostwick. His grandfather, Jabez A. Bostwick
Jabez A. Bostwick
Jabez Abel Bostwick was an American businessman who was a founding partner of Standard Oil.-Biography:...
, was a founder and treasurer of the Standard Oil Company of New York
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
and a partner of John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
. His grandmother, Helen C. Bostwick, left upon her death in April 1920 a sum of $1,156,818 to him and similar amounts to his siblings. Among his cousins were the cross-dressing woman speedboat racer "Joe" a/k/a Betty Carstairs
Betty Carstairs
Betty Carstairs was a wealthy British power boat racer known for her speed and her eccentric lifestyle.-Biography:She was born in 1900 as Marion Barbara Carstairs in Mayfair, London, England, the daughter of Frances Evelyn Bostwick, second child of Jabez Bostwick and his wife Helen, and Captain...
and the pilot Francis Francis.
Pete Bostwick's inherited wealth afforded him the opportunity to pursue a number of sporting interests. His father was a horseman and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player and Pete Bostwick become one of a leading steeplechase
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
owners, trainers, and riders. Pete Bostwick was a member of The Jockey Club
The Jockey Club
The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of The American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its formation, The...
and a patron of the National Tennis Club
National Tennis Club
The National Tennis Club is a club for enthusiasts of a branch of tennis called court tennis in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. Its home is the reconstructed Court Tennis Building at the Newport Casino and is perhaps the busiest court in the United States that houses court tennis...
.
He rode Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
steeplechase horses from 1927 to 1949 both in the US and 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...
in the UK and also rode in flat racing
Flat racing
Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...
. In flat racing he finished 4th in the 1928 running of the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
aboard Whisk Broom, owned by his uncle F. Ambrose Clark
F. Ambrose Clark
Frederick Ambrose Clark was an American equestrian.Clark was the son of Alfred Corning Clark and a grandson of Edward Clark, a lawyer and later 50% owner of the Singer Sewing Machine Company...
.
At Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in 1932 he became the second jockey (after Jockey W. C. ("Bill") Clancy in 1895) ever to ride a flat and steeplechase winner on the same day a feat which he repeated again within two weeks. Initially he rode to victory at Belmont Park aboard Thomas Hitchcock's Silverskin in a steeplechase and Latin Stables' Ha Ha
Ha Ha
Ha Ha is the 9th studio album by Charged GBH released in 2002 on Go-Kart.-Track listing:# "Ha Ha"# "Falling Down"# "Crush 'Em"# "I Want To Believe"# "Song For Cathy"# "Sado Methodist"# "The Unexpected"# "Belgrade"# "The Power of One"...
in a flat race on the same day. Then repeated the feat two weeks later in the Metropolitan Driving Club, a 1-1/16-mi. flat race on J. F. Byers' Glaneur then won the Chamblet Memorial steeplechase on Mrs. Ambrose Clark's Madrigal II the same day.
As a trainer, in 1962 Bostwick became the first steeplechase trainer to have horses win more than $1 million in a single year. His horses were voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase horse
The American Champion Steeplechase Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded as part of the Eclipse Award program since its inception in 1971. It is awarded annually to the top horse in steeplechase racing....
on six occasions: Oedipus
Oedipus (horse)
Oedipus was an American Champion Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. Sired by 1929's flat racing Horse of the Year Blue Larkspur and foaled in Kentucky, Oedipus was purchased by Lillian Bostwick Phipps and was conditioned by future Hall of Fame trainer Pete Bostwick.Oedipus raced from 1948...
(1950, 1951), Neji
Neji (horse)
Neji was an American Champion Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. Foaled in England, Neji was purchased at age three by Lillian Bostwick Phipps who brought the gelding to race in the United States under future Hall of Fame trainer Pete Bostwick....
(1955, 1957, 1958), both of whom were voted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
, and Ancestor won the Eclipse Award in 1959.
Bostwick was a resident of Old Westbury, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Gilbertsville, New York
Gilbertsville, New York
Gilbertsville is a village in Otsego County, New York, United States. The population was 375 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founder, and early landowner Abijah Gilbert of Nuneaton, England, father of the eponymous United States Senator from Florida.The Village of Gilbertsville...
and Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
. First riding at the age of 7 his horseman roots were at the famed Aiken Preparatory School
Aiken Preparatory School
Aiken Preparatory School is a private, 4K-12 coeducational college preparatory school located on over in the historic district of Aiken, South Carolina....
where his aunt, Mrs. Thomas Hitchcock
Thomas Hitchcock
-References:...
known as the "mother of U. S. polo", taught him and many leading polo players of the era their skill. His talents attested to ultimately reaching an eight-goal rating. "Polo for the Public" was his motto at the Bostwick Field on Long Island, New York and polo for a purse was also inaugurated there. In his later years he maintained an immaculate polo field and stables [extant today] at his sprawling farm in Gilbertsville, New York
Gilbertsville, New York
Gilbertsville is a village in Otsego County, New York, United States. The population was 375 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founder, and early landowner Abijah Gilbert of Nuneaton, England, father of the eponymous United States Senator from Florida.The Village of Gilbertsville...
under the name of Village Farms.
Pete skipped attending college remarking: "There is no use sitting in school when one can sit on a horse and go somewhere."
First Marriage
The New York Times reported Bostwick's wedding to Laura Elizabeth Curtis on 7 October 1933, and, sadly, their divorce not quite 16 years later.At the wedding, at Roslyn, Long Island, NY, the rector of the Parish Church presided. The bride wore a white satin gown cut in simple lines, with a long train. Her veil fell to the end of the train from a cap held in place by small white orchids. Her bouquet was of white orchids with pendant buds on satin ribbons.
Mrs. Lewis T. Preston of Jericho was matron of honour and Miss Georgette Whelan was maid of honour. The other attendants were Miss Pauline Curtis, younger sister of the bride, who was flower girl; and Miss Helen Whitney Bourne, Miss Lila Vanderbilt Webb, Miss Janet White of Providence, RI; Mrs. Philip Inglehart and Mrs. Benjamin C. Bettner Jr.
Albert C. Bostwick was best man for his brother and the ushers included Dunbar W. Bostwick, another brother, Robert V. McKim, a brother-in-law, Stewart Inglehart, Philip Inglehart, Lyman Wright, Stephen Clack Jr, Robert L. Gerry Jr, John R. Fell and James F. Curtis Jr, brother of the bride.
After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Bostwick were driven to the reception at Willowmere, the country home of the bride's parents at Roslyn Harbour, overlooking the water, in the historic black and yellow coach, drawn by four horses and trotted by Mr. Bostwick's uncle, F. Ambrose Clark
F. Ambrose Clark
Frederick Ambrose Clark was an American equestrian.Clark was the son of Alfred Corning Clark and a grandson of Edward Clark, a lawyer and later 50% owner of the Singer Sewing Machine Company...
of Westbury.
The report of the divorce reads under the heading "Bostwicks are Divorced - Wife receives custody of the 3 children at Reno", and it is datelined Reno, Nev 11 April 1949. Mrs. Laura Curtis Bostwick of New York received a divorce here to-day from George H. (Pete) Bostwick the well known gentleman jockey on the grounds of mental cruelty. Mrs. Bostwick had filed a cross complaint to that of her husband, who last week charged extreme mental cruelty. An agreement gives Mrs. Bostwick custody of their three children, George H. Jr, James and Laura, and a property settlement provides for their support.
Second Marriage
Pete was married April 26, 1949 to Dolly Van Stade at the home of her parents in Old Westbury, Long Island. Dolly on her the maternal side was a grand daughter of Charles Steele, partner of J. Pierson Morgan. Her father was a noted polo player in the early days of the game on Long Island.His sister Lillian Bostwick
Lillian Bostwick Phipps
Lillian Stokes Bostwick Phipps was an American socialite and owner of Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorses.-Biography:...
married renowned horseman, Ogden Phipps
Ogden Phipps
Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist...
. His brother, Dunbar, was also active in amateur polo and held a six-goal handicap. In the 1930s, Pete, Dunbar, and Lillian built and operated Bostwick Field in Old Westbury, New York where international polo matches were held. Pete Bostwick's name is engraved six times on the U.S. Open Championship trophy.
At the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum
Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum
The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1977 as a tribute to the famous flat racing and steeplechase Thoroughbred horses that trained in Aiken, South Carolina....
there is a permanent exhibit dedicated to his accomplishments. In 1968 Pete Bostwick was inducted into the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
and following its formation, posthumously into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is in Lake Worth, Florida.The first inductions were in 1990.-Honorees:*Rodolphe Louis Agassiz *Lester Armour, III*Harold A. Barry*Harold L. Barry*Paul W. Barry*Roy M. Barry*Carlton Beal...
in 1996. In 2006, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
The Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame honors elite athletes who have roots in Nassau County, New York. The Hall of Fame presentation takes places at the Nassau County Sports Commission "Salute to Champions" Awards Dinner annually every April.-Inductees:...
.
Pete Bostwick died of a heart attack in 1982 while playing polo. He was survived by his wife, Dolly Von Stade Bostwick (1921–1998), four sons and three daughters.
Son Pete Jr. was one of the best and most versatile amateur sportsmen in American history who won two National squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
titles and hard racquets
Racquets (sport)
Rackets or Racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada...
Open Championships and who also excelled at golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, court tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
and Lawn Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
Further reading
- Pete Bostwick at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame
- Pete Bostwick at the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame
- George H. "Pete" Bostwick at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- New York Times obituary January 16, 1982
- Time Magazine June 27, 1932 "Gentleman Jockey"
- New York Times September 30, 1998 'Death Notice: Mrs. G.H. Bostwick'
- New York Times April 27, 1949 Weddings
- New York Times November 5, 1921 "$29,264,181 TO HEIRS OF MRS. BOSTWICK"