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Horses in the Blood
In 1877 Louis (Lewis) C Kuhn again
married to Lucy Jane Backhouse and
in 1879 Amelia Grace was born at
Lambton, then came along Francis
P in 1881, then Louis
W was born 1883, then in 1885
Agnes was born then in 1888
Beatrice was born then in 1892 twins
Philip and Arthur was born.
The twins went on to add to the
reputation of this family of famous
jockeys.
In 1899 Frank Kuhn rode in the
Melbourne Cup on a horse called
Voyuer owned by Francis Foy.
Frank's brother Louis finished third
behind Frank in Meriwee’s 1899
Melbourne Cup on Dewy which had won
the Caulfield cup In 1901 Frank
won the Crown Oaks Cup riding on
1901 Beanba for trainer J. Earnshaw.
In the Newmarket Handicap the Kuhn
Brothers rode many winners in 1900
Frank rode The Watchdog in Louis
rode 1902 Sir Foote and again in
1903 Louise Kuhn rode Chantress.
Frank Kuhn even had a street named
after him in the ACT. He began
riding at the age of 14 when he
joined T Paytens stables and was
Champion New South Wales Jockey in
1901-02
Frank Kuhn established the paradigm
for a pony jockey’s move to
registered racing in 1897. A clever
rider and natural lightweight, in
1899 when he finished second in the
Melbourne Cup on Francis Foy’s
horse, Voyeu, he was in a state
bordering on unconsciousness, which
almost certainly cost his mount the
race. His indisposition was due to
a weeklong bout of influenza.
At the AJC spring meeting of 1901
Kuhn rode eight winners, including
the winner of the Epsom Handicap,
and the Metropolitan on San Fran.
The two finished second in the
Melbourne Cup of that year and the
following autumn won the Sydney Cup.
These achievements ensured Kuhn’s
acceptance by registered owners and
trainers. He enjoyed further notable
success at the VRC autumn carnival
of 1903, but in March he died
following a shooting accident.
The 1907 AJC amnesty enabled a
number of pony jockeys to follow
Kuhn's lead, and to demonstrate that
the graduation to registered racing
was sustainable. The most prominent
of them, Myles Connell, Bill Evans,
Fred Williams and Joe Killorn, each
had had experience with horses from
infancy, abundant riding ability,
and a phlegmatic character that
enabled them to deal with the
initial hostility of AJC rivals.
In 1920 the Kuhn twin jockeys shared
the unique experience of dead
heating twice on the same horses in
the same contest; the first division
of the Rosebery Cup of 1920 and its
subsequent re-run.
Arthur Kuhn and his twin brother
went to India when they were 18, and
earned a fortune. They were riding
for a Maharajah who said he could be
paid in cash or diamonds. He took
the diamonds, and sent them home
with a pilot to his mother.
There was 20 years difference to
William and his younger jockey twin
brothers. By the time they were
riding he was in his 40’s and was
practicing as a trainer at Mascot.
There were tales of diamonds being
buried in the yards of the stables
so apparently William was being paid
as a trainer in Diamonds.
William was the youngest jockey to
have gained his whip at the age of
9, It was a customary presentation
of a gold-mounted whip to their
first win.
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