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CAPTAIN BENNETS CAREER Untimely End of Rider of Sergeant Murphy in Grand National. Tied With F. B. Jlccs and J. Ilogan, Jr., for Cross-Country Jockey Championship Last Year in Military Service During War. Captain G. II. Bcnnct, who rode Stephen Sanfords Sergeant Murphy to victory in the Liverpool Grand National last year, died in London January 13 as a result of injuries suffered in a fall in December. Audax writes as follows in "Horse and Hound" of the late sportsmans career: As a result of a bad fall when riding Sir Keith Frasers Ardeen in the Oteley Steeplechase at Dunstall Park on Thursday, December 27, from which time he had been practically unconscious, Captain Bennet died about three oclock on Sunday morning. Early last week Captain Bennet was moved from Wolverhampton Hospital to a nursing home in Fitzroy Square, London, where an operation was performed on Saturday morning. A YETEIUXAItlAN BY PROFESSION. Born at East Barton, Bury St. Edmunds, in 1894, Geoffrey Harbord Bennet was the son of Geoffrey Bennet, the latter being a younger brother of Phil, at one time owner of charming Rougham Hall, in Suffolk. A veterinary surgeon by profession, and a good one, too. Captain Bennet served with the colors durng the war both in Egypt and France. The bravest of the brave, and a magnificent rider, as good as the best professionals over a countrv.qr hurdling. aml bad to beat on the flat, although lie had had less practice at this game, poor Bennet had tied with F. B. Rees and J. Ilogan, Jr., for the jockey premiership under National Hunt rules last year, each having ridden sixty-two winners when the captain met with his fatal mishap. Last March he achieved one of his greatest ambitions when riding Stephen Sanfords Sergeant Murphy, 12 years, 154 pounds, to ready Aictory in the Grand National Steeplechase, worth 9,250, and considerably the most valuable jumping event ever contested in this country, the starters for which numbered twenty-eight, only seven of which completed the severe four miles and S50 yards in this great struggle at Aintree, with its twenty-eight fences. WINS FOXIIUNTEItS STEEPLECHASE. On the following afternoon he was again successful over the same punishing course for both horse and rider when he was home first on R. H. Gressons Gracious Gift in the Foxhunters Steeplechase, after having sustained a nasty fall in the first race when riding Bumble Bee, which was killed. j His first ride in the all important Liver-! pool contest was on Picture Saint, which failed to finish the course when Troytown won in 1920. In the following year he fin-j ished fourth on Turkey Buzzard, after the horse had fallen during the race, and in 1922 he was fifth on A Double Escape. In 1921 Captain Bennet won the National Hunt Steeplechase at Cheltenham on Harry! A. Browns Bugler, the competitors number-1 ing twenty-two; and last May I noticed how j fine a judge of pace he was when he rode Sans Peche to victory in the Lingfield Club; Welter Stakes. Honest, and deservedly extremely popular, 1 this great riders death is a tragedy and leaves the world of sport, of which he was ! an ornament, much the poorer, there being few men of his type about. Only on July Id last he was married at: St. Georges, Hanover Square, to Cicely, the daughter of Colonel and the late Mrs. Clayton Swan. Colonel Swan is a sportsman! that for many years was a master of hounds. At the inquest held on Captain Bennet on Tuesday a verdict of "accidental death" was returned, his father stating that "everything was done that could be done," and the funeral took place at Newmarket on Wednesday afternoon, being largely attended by sorrowing friends.
