Thomas Dixon

Thomas Dixon was born at Walsall in 1886, the son of railway engine driver William Dixon and his wife Jane who had a total of nine children. The family had no connection with racing, although the 1901 Census reveals that Thomas’s brother William’s occupation was that of a bookmaker. 

Thomas was apprenticed to Hednesford trainer Lawrence Rooney for five years from June 1901. Rooney had ridden on the Flat until 1895 but became too heavy and took out a licence to ride under National Hunt rules, which he combined with his training operation. (According to the 1901 Census, Rooney’s Christian name was spelt Laurence with a U, although he was more regularly referred to as ‘Lawrence’ with a W, even though not strictly correct.)

Dixon rode his first winner on Candelaria in an apprentices’ selling plate at Liverpool on November 9, 1901. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented apprentice, finishing joint champion apprentice with Frank Hardy in 1902. 

However, in November 1902 Rooney’s licence was withdrawn by the National Hunt Committee for foul riding. (It was subsequently restored in 1904.) Rooney suggested to Dixon that he should go to France, promising to obtain him a retainer of £200 a year. Dixon duly went to France, only to find that no such arrangement had been made and that Rooney had merely assigned his services as an apprentice. 

In 1903 Dixon returned to England and obtained a jockey’s licence to ride on his own account. In June that year he was riding at Wolverhampton when Rooney went to the officials and informed them Dixon was still his apprentice and had no right to be riding there. The matter was referred to the Jockey Club, who granted Dixon a temporary licence, but stipulated that the fees should be retained by them until the outcome was determined.

In April 1905, Dixon took the matter to Court, bringing an action against the trainer to obtain a declaration that an indenture entered into with Rooney had been broken by Rooney in such a way as to free him from the apprenticeship and entitle him to ride on his own account. Dixon also claimed £194 expenses which he had incurred while attending race meetings and riding as an apprentice for Rooney. 

Rooney contended that after the National Hunt Committee had withdrawn his licence, the Jockey Club had never prevented him from training horses or using apprentices under Jockey Club rules, hence he had continued to do so. He claimed that when Dixon had returned home and began riding under his own account, he was not entitled to, as Rooney was still in a position to teach Dixon his trade, and had two apprentices working for him. He maintained that he was free to employ Dixon but, having enjoyed success in the saddle, Dixon wanted to be working for himself. 

One of Rooney’s owners, Thomas Southall, told the Court that Dixon was at the top of the list of apprentice jockeys when he had his 5lb allowance and that there was “no doubt his head swelled”. He added that when Dixon lost the 5lb allowance, he was at a disadvantage with other apprentices, and that Rooney’s advice that Dixon should go to France was well intended inasmuch as he would be able to ride there on even terms. 

However, Dixon’s legal representative pointed out that a rule of the Jockey Club stated that no horse was entitled to be entered or run in a race which was in any way under the care of a disqualified person, and that this proved conclusively that if any horses trained by Rooney had run during his period of disqualification it must have been without the knowledge of the stewards. 

Dixon denied that he had broken his indentures and suggested that as he had proven himself, he was anxious to be free to ride on his own account. 

The Judge, Mr Justice Darling, in summing up, said that if Rooney had been found guilty of corrupt and fraudulent practices, he would not have been allowed to train under Jockey Club rules or do anything in connection with the Turf. But if his licence had been withdrawn merely for misconduct, he could train but would not be allowed to ride in trials or be admitted to the weighing room or enclosures. There could be no doubt that Rooney had continued to train and it was for the jury to say whether there was any kind of necessary instruction that he was prevented from giving Dixon. 

The jury found that Rooney had not been declared guilty of corrupt practices but that his licence was withdrawn for misconduct, and that he consequently ceased to carry out a material part of his business, and was unable to instruct Dixon in his profession. They found that Dixon had not incurred any expenses on Rooney’s account but they did find that Dixon was entitled to the £160 he had earned as fees since returning from France. 

The Judge declared that Dixon’s indentures were no longer binding upon him and that he was entitled to the fees retained by the Jockey Club pending the result of the trial. 

Once the trial was over, Dixon continued to ride on the Flat from 1905 to 1911 but without achieving any major successes. He rode a total of 102 winners during his career.

He died at Wantage on April 1, 1915.