Choppy Warburton
Encyclopedia
James Edward 'Choppy' Warburton (born 13 November 1845 – 18 December 1897) was an English record-breaking runner and a cycling coach. His career in cycling has frequent claims that he drugged riders to make them ride faster.
, Lancashire
, son of James Warburton and Harriet Birtwistle (a widow, her maiden name was Morris), the eldest of 12 children of which six survived. Although the property in which he was born still stands, its blue plaque does not commemorate Warburton.
He was once licensee of the Fisher’s Arms in Birley Street, Blackburn.
in 1880, entering several competitions and acquiring 80 cups and medals.
Chris Aspin, of Haslingden history society, said:
and brothers Thomas Linton and Arthur Linton of Aberaman
, Rhondda Cynon Taff
. Warburton's success has been questioned, with claims that he drugged his charges. Michael is said to have accused Warburton of poisoning him, before he was taken to court for libel.
The writer Rudiger Rabenstein claims that Arthur Linton was "massively doped" for the 1896 Bordeaux–Paris. There is in no proof that Linton was doped but his obituary "by one who knew him" said:
Another obituary added:
Arthur Linton was described by the Anti-Doping Forum in Sydney
in 2004, as the first reported death of an athlete from drugs in sport, citing strychnine
although other sources indicate he died of typhoid.
According to the Lancashire Family History Society:
The writer Simon Craig said:
Warburton was banned from the sport.
Warburton appeared in a drawing of Michael by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
, the French art nouveau
artist, for a poster to advertise Michael's sponsor, the Simpson chain company. The National Museum of Wales bought one of the posters in the 1960s although it is not on display.
Origins
Warburton was born in Coal Hey, just off Lower Deardengate, in HaslingdenHaslingden
Haslingden is a small town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels', though the town is in fact set on a high and windy hill. In the early 20th century Haslingden had the status of a municipal borough, but following local government...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, son of James Warburton and Harriet Birtwistle (a widow, her maiden name was Morris), the eldest of 12 children of which six survived. Although the property in which he was born still stands, its blue plaque does not commemorate Warburton.
He was once licensee of the Fisher’s Arms in Birley Street, Blackburn.
Running career
Warburton's potential as a runner was identified at 17 by John Duckworth, his employer at Hutch Bank cotton mill. Warburton competed as an amateur athlete between 1866 and 1879 before turning professional at 34. He won more than 500 first prizes, including 75 cups, visiting venues throughout the north of England, running races from one mile to more than 20, all while working full-time as a warehouseman. Warburton visited his brother George in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1880, entering several competitions and acquiring 80 cups and medals.
Chris Aspin, of Haslingden history society, said:
Choppy came from Haslingden (where I live) and became a member of the local athletic club, founded in 1868. He claimed to be a world-champion long distance runner. He won more than 700 trophies, 511 before he turned professional in 1880. As a boy he ran alongside steam trains on the local line, and was spotted by a wealthy local sports lover, who made a match for him.
Cycle racing
Warburton coached three cycling champions: Jimmy MichaelJimmy Michael
Jimmy Michael , was a Welsh world cycling champion and one of the top riders in the sport for several years.-Origins:...
and brothers Thomas Linton and Arthur Linton of Aberaman
Aberaman
Aberaman is a village near Aberdare in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales.-Schools:*Blaengwawr Comprehensive School *Blaengwawr Primary *Oaklands Primary -Sport:...
, Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taf, or RCT, is a county borough in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. It consists of 3 valleys: the Rhondda Valley, Cynon Valley and Taff-Ely Valley...
. Warburton's success has been questioned, with claims that he drugged his charges. Michael is said to have accused Warburton of poisoning him, before he was taken to court for libel.
The writer Rudiger Rabenstein claims that Arthur Linton was "massively doped" for the 1896 Bordeaux–Paris. There is in no proof that Linton was doped but his obituary "by one who knew him" said:
I saw him at ToursToursTours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, halfway through the race, at midnight, where he came in with glassy eyes and tottering limbs, and in a high state of nervous excitement. I then heard him swear - a very rare occurrence with him - but after a rest he was off again, though none of us expected he would go very far. At OrleansOrléans-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
at five o'clock in the morning, Choppy and I looked after a wreck - a corpse as Choppy called him - yet he had sufficient energy, heart, pluck, call it what you will, to enable him to gain 18 minutes on the last 45 miles of hilly road.
Another obituary added:
I hear by a side wind that one eminent promoter of professionalism... could, like Hamlet's Father's Ghost, a tale unfold which would cause each individual hair upon the licensing committee of the National Cyclists' UnionNational Cyclists' UnionThe National Cyclists' Union was an association established in the Guildhall Tavern, London, on 16 February 1878 as the Bicycle Union. Its purpose was to defend cyclists and to organise and regulate bicycle racing in Great Britain...
to stand on end...
Arthur Linton was described by the Anti-Doping Forum in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 2004, as the first reported death of an athlete from drugs in sport, citing strychnine
Strychnine
Strychnine is a highly toxic , colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia or sheer exhaustion...
although other sources indicate he died of typhoid.
According to the Lancashire Family History Society:
The writer Simon Craig said:
Arthur Linton was not the only Warburton protege to die young, for Jimmy Michael was only 28 at the time of his rather mysterious death in November 1904. And there was also Arthur Linton's brother Tom, who died at the age of 39 in 1914, the cause of death being given, coincidentally, as typhoid fever. Some have sought to implicate Warburton in their deaths, too, but no direct link seems possible since the trainer himself died of a heart attack in 1897. Even so, it seems highly likely that Warburton did dope his cyclists, and possible that Arthur Linton's death was hastened by damage done to him by drugs administered by Warburton. Yet the symptoms described in the newspapers are consistent with typhoid fever, and we are not entitled to state categorically that drugs played a part. Even with modern drug-testing procedures it is hard to prove guilt or innocence; for an incident more than a century ago, it is impossible.
Warburton was banned from the sport.
Warburton appeared in a drawing of Michael by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa or simply Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern...
, the French art nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
artist, for a poster to advertise Michael's sponsor, the Simpson chain company. The National Museum of Wales bought one of the posters in the 1960s although it is not on display.
Nickname
Warburton is said to have gained the nickname Choppy from his father, a sailor who always responded with 'choppy', when asked what the weather had been on a voyage, although according to the United Kingdom census in 1871, his father was a power-loom weaver in a cotton mill.External links
- Vom zwielichtigen Choppy und seinen Wundertränken portrait (in german)