Gwyn R. Tompkins (1861 – November 26, 1938) was an American

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

trainer and owner in both steeplechase and

flat 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 pr ...

. Tompkins owned and trained Rossfenton who in 1910 won the most prestigious steeplechase event in the United States, the

American Grand National The Grand National Hurdle Stakes is an American National Steeplechase Association sanctioned steeplechase race run each fall at Far Hills, New Jersey. It is a Grade 1 event run over miles. It has been known by a variety of names over the years, i ...

Fifteen years later he gained national prominence in flat racing when he took over from

Louis Feustel Louis C. Feustel (January 2, 1884 – July 7, 1970) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer best known as the trainer of Man o' War. The August Belmont Years Born in Lindenhurst, NY, Feustel was only ten years old when he ...

in 1923 as head trainer for Sam Riddle's famous

Glen Riddle Farm Glen Riddle Farm was a large horse farm in Berlin, Maryland in the United States. Located on what today is Route 50 between Ocean City and Berlin, it was owned by a wealthy textile businessman Samuel D. Riddle who named it for his home town Glen ...

. While training for Riddle, 1925 Gwyn Tompkins accomplished something extraordinary in Thoroughbred racing when he conditioned the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (

Friar's Carse Friars' Carse is a mansion house and estate situated (NX 926 850) southeast of Auldgirth on the main road (A76) to Dumfries, Parish of Dunscore, Scotland. The property is located on the west bank of the River Nith and is known for its strong as ...

), the

American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ...

( Maid at Arms), and the

American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ''Turf & Sport ...

(

American Flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

). In addition, that same year Tompkins prepared the then two-year-old Crusader who would earn 1926

and Horse of the Year honors. For 1925, Gwyn Tompkins was the

United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by earnings There is recognition for the United States Champion Thoroughbred Trainer by earnings but no formal award is given to the trainer in Thoroughbred flat racing whose horses earned the most purse money in North American Thoroughbred racing. Note that ...

. A story in the November 1, 1925 issue of the ''

Chicago Daily Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are ...

'' was headlined: ''America's Leading Race Trainer Near Death at Laurel''

Tompkins recovered from his illness but five weeks later the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reported that he had resigned as trainer for

due to his health problems

However, he soon signed on with Isabel Dodge Sloane, heiress and owner of Brookmeade Stable. For Mrs. Sloane, he trained horses that won in both steeplechase and

. A resident of

Warrenton, Virginia Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, of which it is the seat of government. The population was 9,611 at the 2010 census, up from 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2019 was 10,027. It is at the junction of U.S. R ...

where Mrs. Sloan maintained her stable, in November 1938 the then seventy-seven-year-old Gwyn Tompkins took a heavy fall on ice and died in hospital as a result of his injuries.

References

May 31, 1910 ''New York Times'' article "''Rossfenton Takes Grand National''"
*[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A14FF3A581A7A93C5AB178AD95F4C8385F9 November 27, 1938 ''New York Times'' article titled "''Gwyn R. Tompkins; Horse Trainer for Mrs. Isabel Dodge Sloane Dies of Fall on Ice''"] {{DEFAULTSORT:Tompkins, Gwyn R. 1861 births 1938 deaths American horse trainers People from Warrenton, Virginia