Tristram Heppell

1876 - 1937

Tristram was born in 1876 in New Seaham where his father was a miner employed by the Londonderry family for many years.

Always fond of horses, he became apprenticed to Dobson Peacock, the well-known Middleham trainer in whose service he afterwards became head. He rode for Mr Peacock for a number of years and also qualified as a trainer.

Riding Pollyette in the Lowther Selling Nursery at Pontefract on Thursday 28 September, 1905, the saddle slipped and he was heavily thrown.

Several horses galloped over him and, knocked out, he was brought back in the ambulance, heavily cut about the head.

Known as 'Tiny', he went to Durban and won the Johannesburg Handicap. Sadly, he started to drink and fell out of favour.

Returning to England, he found rides impossible to come by and eventually he dropped out of racing.

He then acted as a riding tutor and was for some years employed at Dawdon Colliery as a horse keeper.

In 1915, he was in charge of an engine at Seaham Harbour.

He died, age 60, at the house of his sister, Mrs Elizabeth Holley, Chaplin Steet, Dawdon, Easington, Co. Durham, on Monday October 11, 1937.

In his youth he'd had the appearance of an old man.

His big race wins included:

1900:  Manchester November Handicap (Lexicon)

1902:   Cumberland Plate (Gardenhurst) 

1902:   Ayrshire Handicap (Gardenhurst) 

1903:   Liverpool Autumn Cup (Palmy Days)

1903:  Ayr Gold Cup (Kirkbridge)

1904:  Northumberland Plate (Palmy Days)