# William P. Burch

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William Burch Personal information Born c. 1846 Cheraw, South Carolina, United States Died July 9, 1926 Resting place Oak Hill Cemetery Occupation Trainer / Owner Horse racing career Sport Horse racing Career wins Not found Major racing wins Monmouth Sequel Stakes (1872) Saratoga Sequel Stakes (1872) Spinaway Stakes (1885) Withers Stakes (1886) Russet Stakes (1898) Pansy Stakes (1899, 1902) Matron Stakes (1902) Grand Union Hotel Stakes (1902) Uncas Handicap (1923) Maryland Handicap (1923) Saratoga Handicap (1924) Honours United States' Racing Hall of Fame (1963) W. P. Burch Memorial Handicap (Bowie Race Track) Significant horses Biggonet, My Own

**William Preston Burch** (c. 1846 – July 9, 1926) was an American [Thoroughbred horse racing](/source/Thoroughbred_horse_race) [Hall of Fame](/source/National_Museum_of_Racing_and_Hall_of_Fame) [trainer](/source/Horse_trainer). A native of South Carolina, William Burch served as a courier in the [Confederate States Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army) under Lieut. Gen. [Wade Hampton III](/source/Wade_Hampton_III) during the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). At war's end he became involved in the racing of [American Quarter Horses](/source/American_Quarter_Horse) at various [fairgrounds](/source/Fair) in the [Southern United States](/source/Southern_United_States). In 1866 he embarked on a career as a professional [trainer](/source/Horse_trainer) in [Thoroughbred](/source/Thoroughbred) [horse racing](/source/Horse_racing) which led him to work at racetracks along the northeastern seaboard where for many years he owned, trained and raced horses for himself. Among those were Biggonet, who won important races at [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) tracks including the 1885 [Spinaway Stakes](/source/Spinaway_Stakes) at [Saratoga Race Course](/source/Saratoga_Race_Course) and the 1886 [Withers Stakes](/source/Withers_Stakes) at [Jerome Park Racetrack](/source/Jerome_Park_Racetrack). Beginning in the early 1890s Burch conditioned horses for owners such as [Francis Hitchcock](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francis_R._Hitchcock&action=edit&redlink=1), Samuel Ross, and [Admiral Cary Grayson](/source/Cary_Travers_Grayson).[1]

While preparing horses for owners Cary Grayson and Samuel Ross at [Saratoga Springs, New York](/source/Saratoga_Springs%2C_New_York) in July 1926, eighty-year-old William Burch fell ill and was admitted to a private hospital where he died on July 9.

Following its formation, in 1955 William P. Burch was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Sons [Selby](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selby_L._Burch&action=edit&redlink=1)[2] and [Preston](/source/Preston_M._Burch)[3] both became trainers as did grandson [Elliott Burch](/source/J._Elliott_Burch) and great-grandson, [William E. Burch](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_E._Burch&action=edit&redlink=1). Preston and his son Elliott were both inducted in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. In addition to members of his own family, William Burch was responsible for bringing future Hall of Fame inductees [George Odom](/source/George_M._Odom) and [Jack Joyner](/source/A._Jack_Joyner) into Thoroughbred racing.

Burch was buried in [Oak Hill Cemetery](/source/Oak_Hill_Cemetery_(Washington%2C_D.C.)) in Washington, D.C.[4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["W. P. Burch"](https://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/william-p-burch). Racingmuseum.org. 1955-01-01. Retrieved 2019-06-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Selby L. Burch"](https://www.nytimes.com/1941/07/29/archives/selby-l-btjbch.html). *New York Times*. 1941-07-29. Retrieved 2019-06-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Preston M. Burch, Trainer, Dies At 93"](https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/05/archives/preston-m-burch-trainer-dies-at-93-member-of-racings-hall-of-fame.html). *New York Times*. 1978-04-05. Retrieved 2019-06-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["William Preston Burch is Buried in Capital"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-william-preston-burch-is-bu/179582270/). *The Evening Star*. 1926-07-13. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-08-23 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [William P. Burch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_P._Burch) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_P._Burch?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.