Charlie Trigg

Trigg was born the illegitimate son of Ellen TriggWestbury on Severn Parish Registers: Births, 1881. p. 197. in Minsterworth, Gloucestershire,UK Register of Births, January–March 1881, 6a/275. and baptised at the parish church on 13 February 1881. He went to school at Walmore Hill, Westbury-on-Severn.{{Cite news|title=Twenty years of turf and racing memories: Famous Gloucestershire jockey describes his life|date=21 November 1936|work=Gloucester Journal|page=11}} In a 1936 interview with the Gloucester Journal 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.

He was apprenticed to Sir John Thursby after seeing an advertisement for the position by chance, in an old copy of the Sportsman. 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, before beginning his career as a jockey in 1902.{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/jockeypedia/trigg-charles|title=Trigg, Charles - Jockeypedia|website=sites.google.com|access-date=2017-04-19}}

Trigg won several renowned races during his career, including the Chester Cup in 1903 on Vendale,{{Cite news|title=Twice rode five winners in a day: Lesson learned about money in France|date=28 November 1936|work=Gloucester Journal|page=11}}{{Cite news|title=Chester meeting: Second day, Wednesday May 6|date=7 May 1903|work=The Sporting Life|page=3}} the Cesarewitch in 1906 on Mintagon,{{Cite news|title=Newmarket, a Northern triumph: First and second in the Cesarewitch|date=11 October 1906|work=The Sporting Life|page=3}} the Goodwood Cup in 1909 on Carrousel,{{Cite news|title=Glo'shire jockey's memorable races: Dramatic journey from Austria in August 1914|date=5 December 1936|work=Gloucester Journal|page=11}}{{Cite news|title=The Goodwood Cup: Sir Harry disappoints the North|date=30 July 1909|work=The Sporting Life|page=4}} and the Lincolnshire Handicap in 1911 on Mercutio.{{Cite news|title=Past racing: The Lincolnshire Handicap, Lincoln Spring Meeting, Tuesday March 21|date=25 March 1911|work=The Sporting Times|page=5}} His only Classic success, however, was on Rosedrop, owned by Sir Arthur Bass, in The Oaks in 1910.{{Cite news|title=Past racing: The Oaks, Epsom summer meeting, Friday June 3|date=11 June 1910|work=The Sporting Times|page=8}}

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.{{Cite news|title=Sporting intelligence: Newbury meeting, first day, Tuesday|date=27 September 1905|work=The Times|page=10}}{{Cite news|url=http://newburyracecourse.co.uk/about-us/about-the-racecourse/|title=About The Racecourse - Newbury Racecourse|last=Ltd|first=Indzine|work=Newbury Racecourse|access-date=2017-04-20|language=en-US}}

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

Trigg later recounted 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.{{Cite news|title=Racecourse chat|date=6 August 1914|work=Yorkshire Post|page=10}} Jockeys from the UK and the British Empire were reported to have been interned in Austria in the early part of the war.{{Cite news|title=Racecourse chat: The treatment of racing men interned in Austria|date=27 November 1914|work=Yorkshire Post|page=10}}

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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ripon-races.co.uk/jockeys-set-make-mark-one-kind-race-ripon/|title=JOCKEYS SET TO MAKE THEIR MARK IN ONE OF A KIND RACE AT RIPON - Ripon Races|date=2016-06-10|work=Ripon Races|access-date=2017-04-20|language=en-US}} Trigg made rides in the UK and occasionally in Ireland during the War, and retired from racing in 1918.

A music hall song, Jean Loves All the Jockeys,{{Cite web|url=http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder7572|title=Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project|last=Collections.|first=University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Department of Special|date=2005-11-16|website=cylinders.library.ucsb.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-04-19}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fredgodfreysongs.ca/Songs/Jean_Loves.htm|title=Jean Loves All The Jockeys|website=www.fredgodfreysongs.ca|access-date=2017-04-19}}

Charlie Trigg, winning the 1910 [[Epsom Oaks on Rosedrop|thumb|272x272px]]Trigg’s 843 career race wins in the UK were achieved between 1902 and 1918.

1902: 47 wins from 238 races{{Cite news|title=Successful jockeys of 1902|date=29 November 1902|work=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|page=23}}

1903: 85 wins from 378 races{{Cite news|title=Sporting notes and anticipations: Winning jockeys|date=30 November 1903|work=Edinburgh Evening News|page=4}}

1904: 61 wins from 642 races{{Cite news|title=The leading jockeys of 1904|date=3 December 1904|work=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|page=16}}

1905: 46 wins from 523 races{{Cite news|title=The flat racing season: Statistics|date=2 December 1905|work=Sporting Times|page=13}}

1906: 63 wins from 555 races{{Cite news|title=Racing statistics: Winning jockeys in order of winning mounts|date=1 December 1906|work=Sporting Times|page=7}}

1907: 53 wins from 539 races{{Cite news|title=The end of the flat-racing season: Leading jockeys and horses of 1907|date=30 November 1907|work=Graphic|page=4}}

1908: 77 wins from 670 races{{Cite news|title=Racing statistics: Winning jockeys in order of mounts|date=5 December 1908|work=Sporting Times|page=7}}

1909: 78 wins from 700 races{{Cite news|title=The 1909 racing season: Some winning owners, trainers, jockeys and horses|date=4 December 1909|work=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|page=19}}

1910: 95 wins from 702 races{{Cite news|title=The turf in 1910: Some winning owners, trainers, jockeys and horses|date=3 December 1910|work=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|page=21}}

1911: 111 wins from 733 races{{Cite news|title=The close of the racing season: Some successful jockeys|date=2 December 1911|work=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|page=26}}

1912: 60 wins from 618 races{{Cite news|title=Some successful flat-racing jockeys of 1912|date=7 December 1912|work=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News|page=13}}

1913: under contract to race in Austria:{{Cite news|title=Racecourse chat: C Trigg to ride in Austria next year|date=23 December 1912|work=Yorkshire Post|page=12}} rode 43 winners in Austria;{{Cite news|title=Today's sporting news: General items|date=4 November 1913|work=Globe|page=10}} known to have made rides in the UK before and after the Austrian season{{Cite news|title=Sporting paragraphs: Racing news|date=28 March 1913|work=Nottingham Evening Post|page=8}}{{Cite news|title=Making amends|date=2 April 1913|work=Yorkshire Telegraph and Star|page=6}}

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

1915: 20 wins from 175 races{{Cite news|title=Turf statistics: Leading jockeys in 1915|date=6 November 1915|work=Sporting Times|page=6}}

File:Mrs Winifred Trigg, 1917.jpg

1916: 9 wins from 137 races{{Cite news|title=Sporting intelligence: Winning jockeys – 1916|date=6 November 1916|work=Belfast News-Letter|page=2}}

1917: not listed among the leading jockeys{{Cite news|title=Racing statistics for 1917: Features of the season just ended|date=19 November 1917|work=Nottingham Evening Post|page=3}}

1918: not listed among the leading jockeys{{Cite news|title=Turf notes: Jottings|date=9 November 1918|work=Kildare Observer|page=6}}

On 30 March 1907{{Cite news|title=Well-known jockey gets divorce|date=3 May 1919|work=Cheltenham Chronicle|page=7}} Trigg married Winifred Rhoda Maynard Davis,UK Register of Marriages, January–March 1907, 1a/803. originally from Portishead in Somerset,UK Register of Births, April–June 1886, 5c/738. at St Andrew’s Church, Westminster.

In 1919 Trigg divorced his wife on account of her relationship with a young army officer originally from Lancashire, Captain Percy Walker Kippax,{{Cite news|title=Jockey's divorce decree|date=30 April 1919|work=Pall Mall Journal|page=2}} whom she later married.UK Register of Marriages, October–December 1919, 8d/1697. The divorce caused headlines, with the court hearing evidence from the Triggs’ housekeeper at their Dulwich home to support the allegations against Mrs Trigg. Trigg and his wife had one daughter, Phyllis; he was awarded custody of her following the divorce, and she later married a clergyman who served in parishes at Sneyd Green, Staffordshire{{Cite news|title=Bishop of Lichfield on peace aims: Building a new community|date=13 December 1939|work=Evening Sentinel|page=4}} and Fremington, Devon.{{Cite news|title=Funeral of Mr Charles Trigg|date=1 January 1946|work=Gloucester Citizen|page=4}}

After his divorce, Trigg lost his wealth, returned to Gloucestershire and is reported to have died a pauper at Gloucester General Hospital{{Cite news|title=Death of famous jockey|date=5 January 1946|work=Gloucester Journal|page=9}} in December 1945.UK Register of Deaths, October–December 1945, 6a/427. His funeral was held at Minsterworth Church, and the service was officiated by his son-in-law, Rev Peter Pearson.

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Category:1881 births

Category:1945 deaths

Category:English jockeys

Category:People from Minsterworth