Beltrán Alfonso Osorio, 18th Duke of Alburquerque
Beltrán Alfonso Osorio y Díez de Rivera, 18th Duke of Alburquerque, GE, OSL (15 December 1918 – 8 February 1994), also known as the Iron Duke of Aintree, was a Spanish peer and jockey. A profound monarchist, he was a close friend and confidant of the heir to the throne of Spain, the Count of Barcelona, who he served as the Head of his Household from 1954 to 1993.
The Duke of Alburquerque GE OSL | |
|---|---|
| Head of the Household of the Count of Barcelona | |
| In office 1954–1993 | |
| Monarch | Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Beltrán Alfonso Osorio y Díez de Rivera 15 December 1918 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 8 February 1994 (aged 75) Madrid, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Spouse(s) | Teresa Beltrán de Lis y Pidal
( m. 1952; died 1969)María Cristina Malcampo y San Miguel, 15th Duchess of Parque
( m. 1974) |
| Children |
|
Beltrán was born in Madrid to one of the great noble houses of Spain. At its peak, the House of Alburquerque held 18 titles in the peerage of Spain, 6 of which had the status of Grandee. His father, Miguel Osorio y Martos, 17th Duke of Alburquerque, was Gentilhombre Grandee of king Alfonso XIII while his mother was Inés Díez de Rivera y Figueroa, daughter of the Counts of Almodóvar, also Grandees of Spain. The closeness of the Dukes of Alburquerque to the kings of Spain had existed for many generations; the 8th, 15th and 16th duke had all been Mayordomos mayores or Heads of the Royal Household. Aspiring to become an engineer was soon frustrated by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, which resulted in his enlistment in the cavalry of the nationalist faction, eventually becoming lieutenant colonel.[1]
His passion for equestrianism emerged after he was given his first pony age 5. On his 8th birthday, his father gifted him with a newsreel clip of the 1926 Grand National. He thereafter became enthusiastic with the idea of competing at the Grand National.[2] The duke quickly became one of the promising horse riders of his home club, Puerta de Hierro, rising to prominence when he competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics and later at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[3] His jockey career began when he came second in the Sussex Stakes at Lingfield Park. Despite the duke's unhelpful physique (he was as tall as a basketball player)[4], he finally rode the Grand National as "gentleman rider" in 1952. Osorio also took part in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1973, when he already had 16 bone screws; in 1974, when he finished in a respectable 8th place; and finally at the remarkable age of 58 in 1976, breaking 7 ribs and vertebras, his right wrist and femur as well as suffering a severe concussion that gave him a two-day coma. As a result, the Jockey Club stewards declined to renew his riding permit and it was popularly said that should he continue, "the hospital would run out of screws and the duke out of legs".
The Duke of Alburquerque continued riding in Europe until he was 65. He retired leaving behind an extremely popular legacy, particularly in Britain, where he is remembered for his "courageous and injury-defying performances" at Aintree in which he and his horse "Nereo" became fundamental.[5] On his death in 1994, a racing journalist described him as "an immensely popular character in British racing who cut the distinctive figure of being a tall, slender man with the nose and prominent chin of the traditional Spanish Grandee, closely resembling a Punch cartoon."[6]
Jockey career
The duke became obsessed with winning Britain's Grand National Steeplechase horse race after watching a film of the race on his eighth birthday. However, each of his attempts ended in failure.
On his first attempt in 1952, he fell from his horse, waking up later in hospital with a cracked vertebra. He tried to win again in 1963, and fell from his horse yet again. (Bookies placed a bet of 66-1 against him finishing still on the horse). He raced again in 1965, but again fell from his horse after it collapsed underneath him, breaking his leg.
In 1974, after having sixteen screws removed from a leg he had broken after falling in another race, he also fell while training for the Grand National and broke his collarbone. He then competed in a plaster cast in the race, this time managing to finish, but only in eighth place.
In 1976, the duke fell again during the race, this time being trampled by other horses. He suffered seven broken ribs, several broken vertebrae, a broken wrist, a broken thigh, and a severe concussion which left him in a coma for two days.
At 57, the Iron Duke still tried to compete, but officials revoked his license for "his own safety". He never won the Grand National, but broke more bones than any other jockey in attempting to do so.
His eldest son and heir, Juan Miguel Osorio y Bertrán de Lis (b. 1958), succeeded him as Duke of Alburquerque and most of his other titles in 1994.[7]
Titles, styles and honours
Titles
Dukedoms
- 18th Duke of Alburquerque (GE)
- 7th Duke of Algete (GE)
Marquessates
Countships
- 12th Count of la Corzana (GE)
- 16th Count of Fuensaldaña
- 16th Count of Grajal
- 18th Count of Huelma
- 18th Count of Ledesma
- 15th Count of la Torre
- 14th Count of Villanueva de Cañedo
- 12th Count of Villaumbrosa
Styles
- 1918–1942: The Most Excellent The Marquess of Cuéllar
- 1942–1994: The Most Excellent The Duke of Alburquerque
Honours
National honours
Heraldry
- Heraldry of Beltrán Alfonso Osorio, 18th Duke of Alburquerque
Coat of Arms as Duke of Alburquerque (1942-1994)
References
- Hobbs, Nicolas (2007). "Grandes de España" (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 October 2008.
- Instituto de Salazar y Castro. Elenco de Grandezas y Titulos Nobiliarios Españoles (in Spanish). periodic publication.
- Pepe Díaz, Deportistas Andaluces en los Juegos Olímpicos de la Era Moderna: Atenas 1896 a Turín 2006, Wanceulen (Sevilla, 2011), p. 180
- Robin Oakley et al., Six Years of Jump Racing: From Arkle to McCoy, Bloomsbury (London, 2017), p. 24
- Mariola Gómez Laínez, El Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro, Ediciones El Viso (Madrid, 2010), p. 56
- Ashford, David (10 April 2018). "He was a total kamikaze pilot and brave as a lion". Racing Post.
- Tim Fitzgeorge-Parker, Steeplechase Jockeys: The Great Ones, Pelham Books (London, 1971), p. 82
- Tim Fitzgeorge-Parker, "Obituary: The Duke of Alburquerque" in The Independent, 10 February 1994
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) - 24 November 1994
| Spanish nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Miguel Osorio |
Duke of Alburquerque 1942-1994 |
Succeeded by Juan Miguel Osorio |