There is an Irish farming saying: “Don’t sell your hen on a wet day”, translated it means don’t make big decisions during bad times.
For cattle farmer Tom Dreaper, he had no other choice. It was 1931 at the height of the Great Depression and the cattle market in Ireland was drying up. Families were barely getting by and risks had to be taken.
Born into a traditional Irish farming family in 1898, he had been around animals all of his life and saw himself as a farmer first and foremost, despite having a love for horses which he viewed more as a hobby.
When livestock prices were slashed in half due to the Trade War with Britain that imposed tariffs on Irish exports, Dreaper felt he had no choice.
It was a risk; with no formal training or exposure to the profession, Dreaper used the varying terrain of his farm to train horses; a massive gamble and a considerable difference compared to the methods of established, British yards.
A Slow Burn To Success That Was Far From Guaranteed
Needless to say, Dreaper’s career did not explode overnight. Indeed, he spent nearly a decade in the shadows, training a small string of horses while still working his land to make a living.
He was also riding the horses that he trained; a common practice for farmer-trainers and an incident in 1938 effectively changed his life. Suffering a fall at Ballydoyle that left him unconscious for several weeks, this proved to be a pivotal turning point.
The injury was so severe that it ended his days as a jockey and while this was tragic at the time, it meant that he was forced to focus all of his time and energy on the art of training and the business of the yard. This one decision saw him transition into master strategist.
Dreaper’s “big break” came in 1938, when well-established trainer Bobby Power, who was effectively in the employ of multi-millionaire industrialist J.V Rank, passed away. What came next was a major surprise in the industry, when Rank moved his Irish string of horses to Dreaper’s yard at Greenogue.
It effectively was his call to the dance and the financial floodgates opened providing him with the resources, firepower and high-quality bloodstock he had lacked in the early thirties. Among the horses that came to him was Prince Regent and, although the youngster wouldn’t peak until the 1940s, Dreaper spent the rest of the thirties developing him meticulously.
The Payoff: Heights Hit Unparalleled
At last, after long years, hard work and patience, Dreaper’s efforts were finally rewarded and in epic style. Between 1946 and 1952, he trained the winners of every Irish Grand National, a feat that remains one of the most incredible statistics in horse racing.
His winners were Prince Regent (1946), Revelry (1947), Angel Hill (1948), Lord Haig (1949), Anyhow (1950), Groom Bridge (1951), and Alberoni (1952).
However, due to the outbreak of World War II and the cancellation of horse racing for six years, all Dreaper could do was train and many believe that his “superstar”, Prince Regent would have won many more; his best years effectively lost to the war, having won his first at 11; effectively retirement age.
During the late forties and early fifties, due to his considerable success, Dreaper became the ‘go-to’ trainer for many wealthy owners, such as Dorothy Paget, which proved that Irish trainers could effectively compete with the best British trainers of the day.
What followed next was a sensational achievement and saw Dreaper reach the absolute peak of his powers. In the early 1960s, he began training for Anne, Duchess of Westminster and Arkle was uncovered; arguably one of the best race horses of its time.
Under Dreaper’s patient guidance, Arkle won three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup’s (1964, 1965 and 1966), firmly cementing his place in racing folklore.
Indeed, Dreaper really showcased his ability as a trainer in the 1964 edition when Arkle went head-to-head with favoured British hope and British Champion, Mill House, in a race for the ages. It is often cited as being the greatest race in steeplechasing history and essentially cemented Dreaper’s status as a master tactician.
In 1972, he passed over the reins to his son, James Dreaper, who continued the tradition, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1975 with Ten Up.
Considered to be the best Irish trainer of all time, with 26 Irish Champion titles, 26 winners at the Cheltenham Festival including five Gold Cups and the development of arguably the greatest steeplechasing horse in history, Dreaper; the humble farmer who took a risk, deserves his place among the sport’s very best.