John Porter was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 flat racing

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 whose horses won the English Triple Crown

Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...

 three times.

Biography

Born in Rugeley

Rugeley

Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...

, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

, the National Horseracing Museum

National Horseracing Museum

The National Horseracing Museum of the United Kingdom is located at 99 High Street in Newmarket. Open to the public, it contains collections and records of people and horses involved in the sport of horse racing from its Royal origins to modern heroes...

 says that John Porter "was undoubtedly the most successful trainer of the Victorian era

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

."

From 1854 to 1855, John Porter worked at Downs House in Stable Lane, Findon, West Sussex

Findon, West Sussex

Findon is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, four miles north of Worthing. The parish has an area of 16.41 km² and a population of 1848 persons ....

. Stable owner Henry Padwick entrusted the astute sixteen-year-old with the stables' financial administration and responsibility for the yard's management.

Porter trained horses that won twenty three of the British Classic Races, including seven in England's most prestigious race, the Epsom Derby

Epsom Derby

The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...

. His Triple Crown wins came with Ormonde (1886), Common

Common (horse)

Common was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from May to September 1891 he ran five times and won four races...

 (1891), and Flying Fox

Flying Fox (horse)

Flying Fox was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1899 English Triple Crown Races and was the leading sire in France three times.-Breeding:...

 (1899).

An owner of Kingsclere Stables near Newbury, Berkshire

Newbury, Berkshire

Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...

, Porter was also a founder of Newbury Racecourse

Newbury Racecourse

Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...

 and served as its managing director

Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

.

John Porter retired from racing in 1905. The John Porter Stakes

John Porter Stakes

The John Porter Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Newbury over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 5 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April....

at Newbury Racecourse is a 1 ½-mile race for older horses named in his honor.