Researching David Harrison

Harrison's political fortunes went through a remarkable rise and fall between 1882 and 1888. He forged an alliance with Premier John Norquay soon after moving to Manitoba, and in the election of 1883 was elected for the riding of Minnedosa as a Liberal-Conservative, easily defeating his Liberal opponent David Glass. On August 27, 1886, Harrison was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Statistics and Health, and was touted as a possible successor to Norquay. He was re-elected for the new riding of Minnedosa West later in the year, this time defeating Liberal J.W. Shanks.

Norquay was forced to resign in early December 1887, after a financial crisis involving railway transfers cost him the support of his ministers. Harrison became Premier on December 26, 1887, and attempted to form an administration from the remnants of Norquay's alliance.

Harrison's ministry never got off the ground. He was unable to win the support of a clear majority of MLAs, and lost a vital by-election on January 12, 1888. He resigned one week later, at which time the Lt. Governor called on Liberal Thomas Greenway to form a new administration.

Harrison was technically a "non-partisan" Premier, but his ministry was closely aligned with the national Conservative Party of John A. Macdonald and was dominated by local Conservatives. An official Conservative Party was formed in the province soon after his resignation.

After resigning as Premier, Harrison seems to have abandoned active political life. He allowed Norquay to retake the leadership of the "Conservative Party", and did not seek re-election in 1888. Achieving success in Neepawa as a banker, he moved to British Columbia in 1900. He died of a lingering illness five years later.

David Harrison's father, Stuart and brother Adam also play cricket. Harrison appeared in 1999/2000 for England in the World Youth Cup and played in Second XI cricket in 2001 and 2002, before being promoted to the county side's first XI in August 2002.

Category:1981 birthsCategory:Living peopleCategory:Welsh cricketersCategory:Glamorgan cricketersCategory:Wales Minor Counties cricketersCategory:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers

Harrison was educated at Bede School, Sunderland, Clacton County High School and Selwyn College, Cambridge, reading Natural Sciences (Chemistry), before receiving a PhD in Physical Chemistry. He taught at Cambridge University until 1979 becoming a Fellow of Selwyn and its Senior Tutor.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1987.

Outside academia, he was Chairman of the Government's Advisory Committee on the safety of nuclear installations.

Harrison was knighted in 1997. In 1962 he married Sheila Rachel Debes and they had a son and daughter and one son deceased.

Harrison House in Homerton College, University of Cambridge is named after Harrison.

Harrison rode his first winner on a horse called Majestic Image at Southwell Racecourse on St David's Day, 1 March 1991. He went on to become the British flat racing Champion Apprentice jockey in 1992, with 56 winners, also winning the Lester Award for 'Apprentice Jockey of the Year'.

During his 11 years in racing, his major wins included the Royal Hunt Cup for Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Ascot (Colour Sergeant) along with victories in the Hong Kong Derby (Holy Grail) and Irish St. Leger (Arctic Owl).

Other notable winners include Mongol Warrior, trained by Lord Huntingdon which became the first British trained winner of the Swiss Derby and Single Empire, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, winner of the Derby Italiano. He also rode many winners as stable jockey to trainers James Fanshawe and Brian Kan.

Harrison's career ended prematurely, after he damaged his spinal cord when he fell from the racehorse, My Chief, in a race at Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong, on 30 May 2001. My Chief clipped the heels of another horse and took a heavy fall.

After his accident, Harrison relocated to Andalucia and became an agent for other jockeys.