Tom Lofthouse was born in Darlington in 1867. He rode 16 winners in 1898 including the Great St Wilfrid Handicap on Queens Park. He also won the 1899 Ayr Gold Cup on Portebella.
Despite those successes, his number of rides gradually declined and he was declared bankrupt in November 1903 with liabilities of £543 and assets of just £195.
Tom attributed his failure to lack of employment.
At that time he was living at Blair Athol Villa, Norton, Malton.
He rode two winners in 1904 and gave up riding the following year. In 1906 he began training at Malton but that venture came to an end in 1909, although he continued to live in Malton afterwards.
In July, 1900, Tom took a bad fall at Worcester and spent the next eight weeks in hospital.
Doctor Jessop of Leeds used Rontgen rays on him, which disclosed a splintered bone.
These splinters were removed and Tom was able to return to the saddle that August.