John Thomas Rogers was born in England on July 29, 1866. He did not take out an amateur rider’s permit until 1903 but soon became known as a fearless rider.
An eye injury is said to have cost him the winning ride on Kirkland in the 1905 Grand National. However, he did later ride a winner over the Liverpool fences when landing the 1910 Champion Chase on 4/1 shot Leinster, having earlier run unplaced in that year's Grand National.
He continued riding until the beginning of the First World War, combining that with training on the Flat, having held a licence since 1905, initially based at Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham, then at Orchard House, East Hendred, and then at New Court, Charlton Kings.
Due to a lack of opportunities in England during the war, he moved to Ireland in 1915 and began training there, first at Ruanbeg House before moving to the Curragh in 1917. In Ireland he was noted for his frequent brushes with authority but trained the winners of eleven Irish classics, including all five in 1935. He was champion trainer for three successive years, 1935, 1936 and 1937.
He had occasional runners in England, winning the 1935 Ebor Handicap with Museum, ridden by Steve Donoghue.
He also built up a stud at Athgarvan Lodge and made it his home when retiring from training, handing over the stable to his son, Bryan, but resumed training when Bryan joined the RAF, later to be killed in action.
It was but a brief return to training, for John Rogers died on 6 June 1940, aged 73, on returning from saddling a winner at Limerick Junction (now known as Tipperary). He is commemorated by a major race at the Curragh.
Information sourced from ‘A Biographical Dictionary of Racehorse Trainers in Berkshire 1850-1939’ by David Boyd, published in 1998.