Theodore Green (19 November 1925 – 4 May 1999), often referred to as Theo Green, was an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

race horse trainer and

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

mentor. He was made a member of the

Australian Racing Hall of Fame The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000. The numbers in brackets afte ...

in 2002.

Early life

Green spent time as a

wharfie A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number o ...

, a

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, labourer,

electrician An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance ...

and an apprentice jockey before becoming a trainer.

Career

Some of the Australia's most successful jockeys were trained by Green, including

Darren Beadman Darren Beadman (born 17 November 1965) is an Australian champion jockey. In 2007 at age 41 he was the youngest jockey ever to be inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, being the first to do so while still active in the industry. ...

, Ron Quinton and

Malcolm Johnston Malcolm Johnston (born 19 October 1956) is a retired Australian jockey. Johnston was raised in the rural town of Forbes, New South Wales Forbes is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Newell ...

. John Duggan, Maurice Logue and the late David Green (no relation). Green's jockeys would go on to ride thousands of winners between them in Australia and win numerous Sydney Jockey Premierships. “The boss was deaf in one ear so you had to speak up,” Beadman recalled. “And when he talked, his voice had authority. You had to listen. Always present was the dry sense of humour.” In Green's honour, the eponymous Theo Green Medal is awarded to Sydney's

champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

apprentice jockey each year. Green trained the horse ''Inspired'', the 1984 Group 1

Golden Slipper The Golden Slipper Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old horses run over 1,200 metres on turf at set weights conditions, held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. It is the premier two y ...

winner. ''Inspired'' was ridden by champion jockey Darren Beadman who described Green as a 'special person'. Green trained the winners of other Group 1 races, the Blue Diamond,

AJC Oaks The Australian Oaks is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies at set weights run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. The Aust ...

and Guineas. Green once said "If the jockeys sat still, the horses would run faster".

Boxing

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

is in Theo Green's blood, his father Theo Green Snr was a leading Australian

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

boxer & boxing trainer. His uncle Jackie Green was a champion

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

boxer who won Australian titles in 3 weight divisions and was inducted into the

Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2001 and began inducting boxers into the Hall of Fame in 2003. Since then annual induction dinners have been held across Australia. Inductees are nominated and then voted upon by a panel of ...

in 2006.

References

1925 births 1999 deaths Australian racehorse trainers Australian Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees {{Australia-horseracing-bio-stub