Lot 36: Benjamin Cam Norton (British 1835-1900)

Primrose II with C. Wood up
signed, inscribed and dated 'B Cam Norton/Newmarket 1883' (lower right), also bears inscption in pencil on reverse
oil on canvas
82 x 107cm. (32 1/4 x 42 in.)

Charles Wood (1856-1945) was apprenticed to the Newmarket trainer Joseph Dawson at the age of eleven. He rode his first winner in 1872, and was Champion in 1897. His principal employer at the time was Sir George Chetwynd. The pair formed a racing partnership which regularly flouted the rules of the Jockey Club. Wood actually owned some of the horses he rode (a practice which was strictly forbidden), and piloted them with an eye on Sir George's wagers. This led to the owner leaving the Turf and the jockey being warned off. The punishment lasted for ten years, but Wood returned, winning the Triple Crown in 1897 on Galtee More.

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