Charlie Trigg

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Charlie Trigg
Charlie Trigg, pictured in 1902
OccupationJockey
Born5 January 1881
Minsterworth, Gloucestershire, England
Died26 December 1945 (aged 64)
Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England
Career wins843
Major racing wins
Major race wins:
Epsom Oaks (1910)

Charles George Trigg (5 January 1881 – 26 December 1945) was a British flat jockey of the early 20th century, winning The Oaks in 1910.

Early life[edit]

Trigg was born the illegitimate son of Ellen Trigg[1] in Minsterworth, Gloucestershire,[2] and baptised at the parish church on 13 February 1881.[1] He went to school at Walmore Hill, Westbury-on-Severn.[3] In a 1936 interview with the Gloucester Journal[3] he recalled his frequent travels to Gloucester with his beloved grandmother to sell eggs and other produce from the family farm. After his grandmother bought a Russian pony, he could often be found riding it to deliver goods to her customers.[3]

He was apprenticed to Sir John Thursby after seeing an advertisement for the position by chance, in an old copy of the Sportsman.[3] After attending an interview at Sir John’s home in Park Lane, he worked as a stable lad at Thursby’s estate at Boveridge House, Cranborne, Dorset,[3] before beginning his career as a jockey in 1902.[4]

Racing career[edit]

Trigg won several renowned races during his career, including the Chester Cup in 1903 on Vendale,[5][6] the Cesarewitch in 1906 on Mintagon,[5][7] the Goodwood Cup in 1909 on Carrousel,[8][9] and the Lincolnshire Handicap in 1911 on Mercutio.[5][8][10] His only Classic success, however, was on Rosedrop, owned by Sir Arthur Bass, in The Oaks in 1910.[8][11]

When Newbury Racecourse was opened on 26 September 1905, Charlie Trigg won the very first race at the circuit on Copper King and was presented with a gold-mounted whip to the value of £10.[12][13]

In 1910 Trigg rode 95 winners,[14] and in 1911 he rode 111,[15] although he never headed the list for the unofficial title of Champion Jockey.[8] Following the 1912 season he signed a contract with Baron Alfonso Rothschild to race in Austria for three years.[8][16]

Trigg later recounted[8] how a conversation over dinner following a chance encounter with an Englishman he knew in the Diplomatic Service, at his hotel in Vienna, led him to flee Austria shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, travelling by train via Prague and Frankfurt, and arriving in Brussels to learn that the United Kingdom had declared war on Germany. Having finally arrived in the UK on Monday evening, 3 August 1914, Trigg made a winning ride on the Tuesday afternoon at Brighton, on a horse owned by Charles Hibbert, for whom he had ridden before his Austrian contract.[17] Jockeys from the UK and the British Empire were reported to have been interned in Austria in the early part of the war.[18]

During his career, which was curtailed by the reduction in racing brought about by the First World War, he rode a total of 843 winners.[4][19] Trigg made rides in the UK and occasionally in Ireland during the War,[8] and retired from racing in 1918.[4]

A music hall song, Jean Loves All the Jockeys,[20] written in 1913 by Fred Godfrey and Billy Williams, and sung by Williams, namechecks Charlie Trigg among a dozen or so renowned jockeys of the day.[21]

Career records[edit]

Charlie Trigg, winning the 1910 Epsom Oaks on Rosedrop

Trigg’s 843 career race wins in the UK were achieved between 1902 and 1918.

1902: 47 wins from 238 races[22]

1903: 85 wins from 378 races[23]

1904: 61 wins from 642 races[24]

1905: 46 wins from 523 races[25]

1906: 63 wins from 555 races[26]

1907: 53 wins from 539 races[27]

1908: 77 wins from 670 races[28]

1909: 78 wins from 700 races[29]

1910: 95 wins from 702 races[14]

1911: 111 wins from 733 races[15]

1912: 60 wins from 618 races[30]

1913: under contract to race in Austria:[16] rode 43 winners in Austria;[31] known to have made rides in the UK before and after the Austrian season[32][33][31]

1914: under contract to race in Austria: known to have made rides in the UK after fleeing on the eve of the First World War[17]

1915: 20 wins from 175 races[34]

Mrs Winifred Trigg, pictured in 1917

1916: 9 wins from 137 races[35]

1917: not listed among the leading jockeys[36]

1918: not listed among the leading jockeys[37]

Personal life[edit]

On 30 March 1907[38] Trigg married Winifred Rhoda Maynard Davis,[39] originally from Portishead in Somerset,[40] at St Andrew’s Church, Westminster.[38]

In 1919 Trigg divorced his wife on account of her relationship with a young army officer originally from Lancashire, Captain Percy Walker Kippax,[41] whom she later married.[42] The divorce caused headlines, with the court hearing evidence from the Triggs’ housekeeper at their Dulwich home to support the allegations against Mrs Trigg.[38] Trigg and his wife had one daughter,[38] Phyllis; he was awarded custody of her following the divorce, and she later married a clergyman who served in parishes at Sneyd Green, Staffordshire[43] and Fremington, Devon.[44]

Later life and death[edit]

After his divorce, Trigg lost his wealth, returned to Gloucestershire and is reported to have died a pauper[4] at Gloucester General Hospital[45] in December 1945.[46] His funeral was held at Minsterworth Church,[44] and the service was officiated by his son-in-law, Rev Peter Pearson.[44]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Westbury on Severn Parish Registers: Births, 1881. p. 197.
  2. ^ UK Register of Births, January–March 1881, 6a/275.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Twenty years of turf and racing memories: Famous Gloucestershire jockey describes his life". Gloucester Journal. 21 November 1936. p. 11.
  4. ^ a b c d "Trigg, Charles - Jockeypedia". sites.google.com. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Twice rode five winners in a day: Lesson learned about money in France". Gloucester Journal. 28 November 1936. p. 11.
  6. ^ "Chester meeting: Second day, Wednesday May 6". The Sporting Life. 7 May 1903. p. 3.
  7. ^ "Newmarket, a Northern triumph: First and second in the Cesarewitch". The Sporting Life. 11 October 1906. p. 3.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Glo'shire jockey's memorable races: Dramatic journey from Austria in August 1914". Gloucester Journal. 5 December 1936. p. 11.
  9. ^ "The Goodwood Cup: Sir Harry disappoints the North". The Sporting Life. 30 July 1909. p. 4.
  10. ^ "Past racing: The Lincolnshire Handicap, Lincoln Spring Meeting, Tuesday March 21". The Sporting Times. 25 March 1911. p. 5.
  11. ^ "Past racing: The Oaks, Epsom summer meeting, Friday June 3". The Sporting Times. 11 June 1910. p. 8.
  12. ^ "Sporting intelligence: Newbury meeting, first day, Tuesday". The Times. 27 September 1905. p. 10.
  13. ^ Ltd, Indzine. "About The Racecourse - Newbury Racecourse". Newbury Racecourse. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  14. ^ a b "The turf in 1910: Some winning owners, trainers, jockeys and horses". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 3 December 1910. p. 21.
  15. ^ a b "The close of the racing season: Some successful jockeys". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 2 December 1911. p. 26.
  16. ^ a b "Racecourse chat: C Trigg to ride in Austria next year". Yorkshire Post. 23 December 1912. p. 12.
  17. ^ a b "Racecourse chat". Yorkshire Post. 6 August 1914. p. 10.
  18. ^ "Racecourse chat: The treatment of racing men interned in Austria". Yorkshire Post. 27 November 1914. p. 10.
  19. ^ "JOCKEYS SET TO MAKE THEIR MARK IN ONE OF A KIND RACE AT RIPON - Ripon Races". Ripon Races. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  20. ^ Collections., University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Department of Special (16 November 2005). "Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project". cylinders.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 19 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Jean Loves All The Jockeys". www.fredgodfreysongs.ca. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  22. ^ "Successful jockeys of 1902". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 29 November 1902. p. 23.
  23. ^ "Sporting notes and anticipations: Winning jockeys". Edinburgh Evening News. 30 November 1903. p. 4.
  24. ^ "The leading jockeys of 1904". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 3 December 1904. p. 16.
  25. ^ "The flat racing season: Statistics". Sporting Times. 2 December 1905. p. 13.
  26. ^ "Racing statistics: Winning jockeys in order of winning mounts". Sporting Times. 1 December 1906. p. 7.
  27. ^ "The end of the flat-racing season: Leading jockeys and horses of 1907". Graphic. 30 November 1907. p. 4.
  28. ^ "Racing statistics: Winning jockeys in order of mounts". Sporting Times. 5 December 1908. p. 7.
  29. ^ "The 1909 racing season: Some winning owners, trainers, jockeys and horses". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 4 December 1909. p. 19.
  30. ^ "Some successful flat-racing jockeys of 1912". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 7 December 1912. p. 13.
  31. ^ a b "Today's sporting news: General items". Globe. 4 November 1913. p. 10.
  32. ^ "Sporting paragraphs: Racing news". Nottingham Evening Post. 28 March 1913. p. 8.
  33. ^ "Making amends". Yorkshire Telegraph and Star. 2 April 1913. p. 6.
  34. ^ "Turf statistics: Leading jockeys in 1915". Sporting Times. 6 November 1915. p. 6.
  35. ^ "Sporting intelligence: Winning jockeys – 1916". Belfast News-Letter. 6 November 1916. p. 2.
  36. ^ "Racing statistics for 1917: Features of the season just ended". Nottingham Evening Post. 19 November 1917. p. 3.
  37. ^ "Turf notes: Jottings". Kildare Observer. 9 November 1918. p. 6.
  38. ^ a b c d "Well-known jockey gets divorce". Cheltenham Chronicle. 3 May 1919. p. 7.
  39. ^ UK Register of Marriages, January–March 1907, 1a/803.
  40. ^ UK Register of Births, April–June 1886, 5c/738.
  41. ^ "Jockey's divorce decree". Pall Mall Journal. 30 April 1919. p. 2.
  42. ^ UK Register of Marriages, October–December 1919, 8d/1697.
  43. ^ "Bishop of Lichfield on peace aims: Building a new community". Evening Sentinel. 13 December 1939. p. 4.
  44. ^ a b c "Funeral of Mr Charles Trigg". Gloucester Citizen. 1 January 1946. p. 4.
  45. ^ "Death of famous jockey". Gloucester Journal. 5 January 1946. p. 9.
  46. ^ UK Register of Deaths, October–December 1945, 6a/427.
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