Tom Wright (greyhound trainer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edward Wright is an English
greyhound
trainer. His family was known for its success during the late 19th century. He is the youngest son of Joseph
& Anne Wright of Avenue Farm in Waverton
, Cheshire
. One of seven children, he followed his brothers Jack Wright
and Joe Wright
into greyhound training.
Initially he trained at Hey House in Saughall
, Cheshire
for the Fawcett brothers, whom his father had bred and trained for, before moving his training to the Caeau, near Hope, Flintshire
. In his later years he lived at Saighton
, Cheshire
. Training greyhounds for coursing Tom Wright employed many different methods to ensure his dogs successes; hanging pig carcasses from a tree encouraging the dogs to jump to strengthen their hind legs and teaching them to jump drainage ditches that they may encounter during the coursing
.
1895 saw the dominance of the Wright family in the Waterloo Cup
competition, Joe trained the winner Thoughtless Beauty, Tom trained the runner up Fortuna Favente and another brother Robert Kelsell Wright
slipped the dogs in the final.
In the White Lion public house in Brampton, Carlisle, Cumbria
he purchased the greyhound bitch Fair Future for £5 from the landlord. The bitches litters yielded amongst the first Waterloo Cup
winning greyhound for the Fawcett brothers and Tom Wright.
The following is a list of the Waterloo Cup
winning greyhounds that he trained:
Acknowledged by Charles Blanning and Sir Mark Prescott as one of the great trainers of all time, he died at his daughters house in Whitford, Flintshire in 1956.
His son Ralph was the manager at Hove
greyhound stadium and his son John
, also trained greyhounds, winning the Waterloo Cup 4 times.
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...
greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
trainer. His family was known for its success during the late 19th century. He is the youngest son of Joseph
Joseph Wright (greyhound trainer)
Born Joseph Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the second eldest son of Joseph & Ann Wright.Joseph Wright became one of the best known breeders and trainers of coursing greyhounds in the United Kingdom. he kept an extensive breeding and training establishment at Waverton, and his pedigree puppies...
& Anne Wright of Avenue Farm in Waverton
Waverton, Cheshire
Waverton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies about 5 km south east of Chester...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. One of seven children, he followed his brothers Jack Wright
Jack Wright (greyhound trainer)
Born John Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the eldest son of Joseph & Anne Wright of Avenue Farm, previous of The White Horse Inn, Waverton....
and Joe Wright
Joe Wright (greyhound trainer)
Born Joseph Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the eldest son of Joseph & Anne Wright of Avenue Farm, previous of The White Lion Inn.Initially employed as a farm servant on his father’s farm he moved to Ditton, Cheshire and worked with his brother Jack Wright to establish his kennels for training...
into greyhound training.
Initially he trained at Hey House in Saughall
Saughall
Saughall is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated approximately north west of Chester and close to the Welsh border....
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
for the Fawcett brothers, whom his father had bred and trained for, before moving his training to the Caeau, near Hope, Flintshire
Hope, Flintshire
Hope is a small village in Flintshire, north-east Wales. The village is located approximately 3 miles / 4.5 km from the Wales-England border, on the course of the River Alyn....
. In his later years he lived at Saighton
Saighton
Saighton is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, a few miles south of Chester...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Training greyhounds for coursing Tom Wright employed many different methods to ensure his dogs successes; hanging pig carcasses from a tree encouraging the dogs to jump to strengthen their hind legs and teaching them to jump drainage ditches that they may encounter during the coursing
Coursing
Coursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, and commoners with sighthounds and lurchers...
.
1895 saw the dominance of the Wright family in the Waterloo Cup
Waterloo Cup
The Waterloo Cup was a coursing event. The three day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches...
competition, Joe trained the winner Thoughtless Beauty, Tom trained the runner up Fortuna Favente and another brother Robert Kelsell Wright
Robert Kelsell Wright
Robert Kelsell Wright was the third eldest son of Joseph & Ann Wright of Avenue Farm, Waverton, Cheshire.Robert obtained his middle name from his paternal grandmother Elizabeth Kelsell and did not follow his brothers, Jack Wright, Joseph Wright & Tom Wright into greyhound training...
slipped the dogs in the final.
In the White Lion public house in Brampton, Carlisle, Cumbria
Brampton, Carlisle, Cumbria
Brampton is a small market town and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England about 9 miles east of Carlisle and 2 miles south of Hadrian's Wall. It is situated off the A69 road which bypasses it...
he purchased the greyhound bitch Fair Future for £5 from the landlord. The bitches litters yielded amongst the first Waterloo Cup
Waterloo Cup
The Waterloo Cup was a coursing event. The three day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches...
winning greyhound for the Fawcett brothers and Tom Wright.
The following is a list of the Waterloo Cup
Waterloo Cup
The Waterloo Cup was a coursing event. The three day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches...
winning greyhounds that he trained:
- 1896 Fabulous Fortune
- 1900 Fearless Footsteps
- 1901 Fearless Footsteps
- 1902 Farndon Ferry
- 1903 Father Flint
Acknowledged by Charles Blanning and Sir Mark Prescott as one of the great trainers of all time, he died at his daughters house in Whitford, Flintshire in 1956.
His son Ralph was the manager at Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
greyhound stadium and his son John
John Wright (greyhound trainer)
John Wright was born in Little Saughall, Cheshire, the son of Tom Wright and Lizzie Davies. Following on from his fathers success as a trainer of greyhounds, John Wright initially trained for the racehorse breeder Mrs Clarissa Sofer Whitburn at Amport House, Andover, Kent...
, also trained greyhounds, winning the Waterloo Cup 4 times.