Title - Portrait of Joe Childs(1923)

Artist - Sir John Lavery

Although it is difficult to be precise, Childs appears to be seated upon a weighing chair, thus alluding to the 'weighing-in' process which was Lavery's principal motif. Since scales with slung seats were used at Epsom and Hurst Park, it is likely that the present sketch was painted at Ascot. Childs is seen wearing the Rothschilds' colours. He rode Derby winners in 1916, 1918 and 1926. A leading jockey throughout the period dominated by Steve Donaghue, whose portrait was also painted by Lavery, he had more successes in the Five Classics than Donaghue, winning the Oaks and the St. Leger each on four occasions.