ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Roddy Owen (actually: Edward Roderic Owen) (* 1856; † 11 July 1896 at Dongola, Sudan) was a successful British jockey and important officer.

Live life
After completing his schooling at Eton in 1873, he began his officer career. After positions in Canada, Cyprus and Malta, he took over an activity with the staff of the Viceroy of India, then from 1885 to 1891 in the staff of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. During this time he participated as a jockey in numerous local races, where he was very successful. He crowned his career as an exceptional rider with his victory at the Grand National in 1892 with a 20-length lead. He was then wounded as a major in the Jebu War, a campaign in West Africa (now Nigeria). In 1893 he founded in the new Protectorate of Uganda on behalf of Sir Gerald Portal a series of forts on the western border of the Kingdom of Toro, gathering the Egyptian-Sudanese troops left behind by Emin Pasha after his meeting with Henry Morton Stanley near Wadelai and manning the forts with them. One of these forts he named Fort Gerry, by Portal's first name (today: Fort Portal). On January 5, 1895, he was awarded the Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. In the same year he was sent as a war correspondent for The Pioneer to northern India, where he reported on the suppression of the revolt in Chitral. In the spring of 1896 he was in Egypt and participated in the suppression of the Mahdi regime under Horatio Herbert Kitchener. Shortly thereafter, cholera broke out, causing serious casualties under the British-Egyptian-Sudanese army, including Major Roddy Owen.

Afterlife
His sister Mai Bovill published a book in 1897 under the title Roddy Owen - A Memoir, which became extremely successful. (Bovill, M. & Askwith, G.R. Roddy Owen - A Memoir, John Murray, London, 1897)

His grandnephew bears the same name and published a book in 1967 in which he travels the last stages of his great uncle's life (R. Owen: Roddy Owen's Africa, Marcham Manor Press, Appleford-Abingdon, Berks., 1967).

The British colonial authorities named the Owen Falls and thus also the Owen Falls Dam on Victoria Nile after him.

In the 1950s and 60s, a racehorse was very successful in Britain, which had been named Roddy Owen in his memory.

Weblinks
Military career of Roddy Owen and the Lancaster Fusiliers with several pictures

Jockey
Major (British Army)
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
British
Born in 1856
Died in 1896
Man