Edwin Janss Gregson (August 7, 1938 – June 4, 2000) was an American Thoroughbred

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

trainer. He was the trainer of

Gato Del Sol Gato Del Sol (February 23, 1979 – August 7, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his win in the 1982 Kentucky Derby. Background Gato Del Sol was a gray horse foaled at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky. He was sired by th ...

who won the

1982 Kentucky Derby The 1982 Kentucky Derby was the 108th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 1, 1982, with 141,009 people in attendance. Full results References 1982 Kentucky Derby Derby Kentucky Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Der ...

. He died on June 4, 2000, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In his honor, a charitable institution founded by the association of California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) designed to "enhance the quality of life of California's backstretch workers and their families" was renamed the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation.

Personal life and education

Edwin's father George Gregson, from Bisbee, Arizona, worked for Janss Investment Company. He met Patricia Cluff Janss there and they married. Gregson was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Holmby Hills. His uncle Edwin Janss Jr. was a real estate developer. His grandfather owned the 10,000 acre

Janss Conejo Ranch Wildwood Regional Park is a suburban regional park in the western Simi Hills and Conejo Valley, in Ventura County, California. It is located in western Thousand Oaks, northern Newbury Park, and southern Moorpark. Wildwood is home to over 27 mi ...

. He had a sister, Patricia. Gregson attended

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

to study pre-law but left after two years to become an actor in New York, including a small part in ''

The Naked and the Dead ''The Naked and the Dead'' is a novel written by Norman Mailer. Published by Rinehart & Company in 1948, when he was 25, it was his debut novel. It depicts the experiences of a platoon during World War II, based partially on Mailer's experiences ...

''. He married actress

May Britt May Britt (born May Britt Wilkens; 22 March 1934) is a Swedish actress who had a brief career in the 1950s in Italy and later in the United States. She was married to American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. from 1960 to 1968. Career Britt was ...

in Tijuana, Mexico on February 22, 1958. They separated in September 1959 and divorced. He then finished his Stanford degree in European history. Before he died, he was living in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

and married to Gail, a show jumper and racehorse rehabilitator, who he wed in 1968 and with whom he had twin daughters in 1970.

Career

After graduating he worked as a cowboy and a groom, before becoming a racehorse trainer. He was president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers Association and the secretary and a director of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Edwin J. Gregson Foundation

The Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, Inc. is a

nonprofit foundation A foundation (also a charitable foundation) is a category of nonprofit organization or charitable trust that typically provides funding and support for other charitable organizations through grants, but may also engage directly in charitable act ...

in the American Thoroughbred

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

industry based in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...

. Its stated objective is to "enhance the quality of life of California's backstretch workers and their families." Founded in 1998, in 2000 it was renamed to honor the memory of trainer and former CTT president, Edwin J. "Eddie" Gregson, who was the first to advocate the creation of the Foundation. Among its functions, the Foundation provides College Scholarships to the children of backstretch workers. Since July 2001, trainer Jenine Sahadi has been President of the Foundation.

References

External links

Edwin J. Gregson Foundation, Inc. official website

Video at Bloodhorse.com on the activities of the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregson, Edwin J. 1938 births 2000 deaths American horse trainers Suicides by firearm in California People from Pasadena, California Stanford University alumni People from Holmby Hills, Los Angeles