George Ede
Encyclopedia
George Matthew Ede was an English
cricket
er. Ede was the twin brother of Edward Ede, Sr.
. The Ede brothers were both educated at Abingdon School
and both became cricketers, playing for Hampshire
. Ede was Hampshires captain from 1864 to 1869. His brother Edward played for the county side from 1861 to 1870. Ede was the first player to score a half century for the county club.
George Ede is recorded as scoring the first century at the Antelope Ground
, Southampton in 1862, when he hit 122 for South Hampshire v East Hampshire.
at Aintree
. His greatest moment came in 1868 when he partnered The Lamb to victory in the event, a feat made the more remarkable by the fact he had been seriously injured in a fall just a few months earlier. It was at Aintree where Ede would suffer the injuries which ultimately cost him his life. He was leaving the course, having just competed in the 1870 Grand National
when he was approached by a trainer to ride a horse named Chippenham in the following day's Grand Sefton chase over the notorious big fences. Ede had not planned to ride the following day and it was widely believed that he would be announcing his retirement from the saddle as he was soon to be married but when presented with a mount at Aintree
he accepted. His close friend and riding colleague Arthur Yates implored him not to take the ride, which had already been refused by many of the top professional riders, stating "Don't ride the brute George, he'll kill you!"
George was taken unconscious from the course, suffering crush injuries to his chest and died three days later at the home of racing trainer Ben Land without regaining consciousness. He was thirty-six years old and was survived by his mother, sister and twin brother.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. Ede was the twin brother of Edward Ede, Sr.
Edward Ede, Sr.
Edward Lee Ede was an English cricketer. Ede was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm underarm.Ede was educated at Eton College, but was not seen as a good enough cricketer to represent the college...
. The Ede brothers were both educated at Abingdon School
Abingdon School
Abingdon School is a British day and boarding independent school for boys situated in Abingdon, Oxfordshire , previously known as Roysse's School. In 1998 a formal merger took place between Abingdon School and Josca's, a preparatory school four miles to the west at Frilford...
and both became cricketers, playing for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. Ede was Hampshires captain from 1864 to 1869. His brother Edward played for the county side from 1861 to 1870. Ede was the first player to score a half century for the county club.
George Ede is recorded as scoring the first century at the Antelope Ground
Antelope Ground
The Antelope Ground, Southampton was a sports ground that was the first home of both Hampshire County Cricket Club, who played there prior to 1884, and of Southampton Football Club, who played there from 1887 to 1896 as "Southampton St...
, Southampton in 1862, when he hit 122 for South Hampshire v East Hampshire.
Racing career
Coming from the age of the public school educated all round sportman, George was also an accomplished horseman. He rode for several years as one of the top Victorian amateurs in steeplechasing, adopting the name Mr Edwards when riding and competed several times in the Grand NationalGrand 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...
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....
. His greatest moment came in 1868 when he partnered The Lamb to victory in the event, a feat made the more remarkable by the fact he had been seriously injured in a fall just a few months earlier. It was at Aintree where Ede would suffer the injuries which ultimately cost him his life. He was leaving the course, having just competed in the 1870 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...
when he was approached by a trainer to ride a horse named Chippenham in the following day's Grand Sefton chase over the notorious big fences. Ede had not planned to ride the following day and it was widely believed that he would be announcing his retirement from the saddle as he was soon to be married but when presented with a mount at Aintree
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....
he accepted. His close friend and riding colleague Arthur Yates implored him not to take the ride, which had already been refused by many of the top professional riders, stating "Don't ride the brute George, he'll kill you!"
Death
Yates words were to prove prophetic. At the Monument fence, today known as The Chair, Ede and Chippenham parted company and although the initial fall did no damage it was when the horse tried to rise that Ede suffered his fatal injuries when Chippenham stumbled and crashed heavily onto his rider's body.George was taken unconscious from the course, suffering crush injuries to his chest and died three days later at the home of racing trainer Ben Land without regaining consciousness. He was thirty-six years old and was survived by his mother, sister and twin brother.