Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
Thomas "Robin" Valerian Dixon, 3rd Baron Glentoran, (born 21 April 1935), is a former
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
bobsledder
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Feder ...
and
Northern Irish
Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...
politician, known as Robin Dixon. He is a former
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
Shadow Minister for the Olympics.
Early life
Dixon was educated at
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
and
Grenoble
lat, Gratianopolis
, commune status = Prefecture and commune
, image = Panorama grenoble.png
, image size =
, caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
in France. After university, he served with the
Grenadier Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
from 1954 to 1966, including service in the
Cyprus Emergency
The Cyprus Emergency ( gr, Απελευθερωτικός Αγώνας της Κύπρου 1955–59), also known as the Greek Cypriot War of Independence or Cypriot War of Independence, was a conflict fought in British Cyprus between November 19 ...
.
Sports career
In 1964, Dixon was granted leave from the army to participate in the
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 ( bar, Innschbruck 1964, label=Austro-Bavarian), was a winter multi-sport event which was celebr ...
at
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
, where he won the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
in the
Two-man Bobsleigh as
brakeman
A brakeman is a rail transport worker whose original job was to assist the braking of a train by applying brakes on individual wagons. The earliest known use of the term to describe this occupation occurred in 1833. The advent of through brakes, ...
to
Tony Nash. Nash and Dixon also won three medals in the two-man event at the
FIBT World Championships
The IBSF World Championships (known as the FIBT World Championships until 2015), part of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, have taken place on an annual basis since 1930. Starting with 2002, championships of non-Winter Olympic ...
with one gold (
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
) and two bronzes (
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
,
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
).
Dixon retained his sporting links throughout his life: he was President of the Jury at the
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games (german: XII. Olympische Winterspiele, french: XIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1976 ( bar, Innschbruck 1976, label=Austro-Bavarian), was a ...
, set up the Ulster Games Foundation in 1983, and was appointed Chairman of the
Northern Ireland Tall Ships Council in 1987. He has been President of the British Bobsleigh Association since 1987.
Business
Dixon retired from the
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
in 1966 with the rank of Major and went on to work for
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
in their
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
department and in 1971 joined the Northern Irish business, Redland Tile and Brick Ltd, which he built up into a multimillion-pound subsidiary of
Redland plc Redland or Redlands may refer to:
Places Australia
*Redland City, a local government area in South East Queensland
**Electoral district of Redlands
*SCECGS Redlands, an independent school in Cremorne, New South Wales
Canada
*Redland, Albert ...
and became managing director. In 1983, he was appointed
High Sheriff of Antrim
The High Sheriff of Antrim is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Antrim. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the high sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judi ...
.
Upon the 1995 death of his father, the
2nd Baron Glentoran, Dixon inherited his title, and he retired from business in 1998.
Political career
Dixon was Chairman of
Positively Belfast from 1992 to 1996, Chairman of the "Growing a Green Economy" Committee from 1993 to 1995 and has been
Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland,
Shadow Minister for Sport and
Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He is also a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body.
Lord Glentoran was one of 92
hereditary peers
The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of September 2022, there are 807 hereditary peers: 29 dukes (including five royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 190 earls, 111 viscounts, and 443 barons (disregarding subsid ...
that remain in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
after the passing of the
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...
, and sat on the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
benches until his retirement from the House on 1 June 2018.
Personal life
Lord Glentoran has three sons from his first wife, Rona (divorced in 1975), and lives with his third wife, Margaret, in their family home,
Drumadarragh House, near
Ballyclare
Ballyclare () is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,953 according to the 2011 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area.
It sits on the river Six Mile Water. The town ...
. His eldest son, Daniel, has two sons; his second, Andrew, a son and a daughter, and his youngest, Patrick, has one daughter.
Honours
Dixon and his driver,
Tony Nash, were inducted into the British Bobsleigh Hall of Fame as a result of their success. In the
1969 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1969 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lond ...
, Dixon was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE), as was Nash, for services to winter sports. A curve at the
St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun is named for both Nash and Dixon.
In 1987, Dixon was appointed
Honorary Colonel of the
5th Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th).
Dixon was promoted to
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in the
1992 Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in the Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published i ...
for services to sport and to the community in Northern Ireland.
See also
*
List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords
This is a list of Members of the United Kingdom House of Lords who were born, live or lived in Northern Ireland.
This list does not include hereditary peers whose only parliamentary service was in the House of Lords prior to the passage of the ...
References
External links
Robin Dixon profileStratagem
Sports 123
Sports 123
Hall of FameBritish Bobsleigh Association
*
St. Moritz, Switzerland bobsleigh and skeleton track map featuring the Nash-Dixon corner Olympia Bobrun
* Wallenchinsky, David (1984) "Bobsled: Two-man". In ''The Complete Book of the Olympics: 1896-1980'' New York: Penguin Books; p. 559
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glentoran, Robin Dixon, 3rd Baron
1935 births
Living people
Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Bobsledders at the 1964 Winter Olympics
Bobsledders at the 1968 Winter Olympics
British male bobsledders
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers
Grenadier Guards officers
High Sheriffs of Antrim
People educated at Eton College
British military personnel of the Cyprus Emergency
Olympic bobsledders of Great Britain
Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain
People from Ballyclare
Olympic medalists in bobsleigh
British sportsperson-politicians
Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics
Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999