Joseph Dillon : Short Biography

Joseph Dillon 1885 – 1967 of Tralee

Joseph Dillon was born at Spa Road, Tralee on the 24th October 1885 to Patrick Dillon and Mary Flynn.  He was baptised on 31st October of the same year; his sponsors were Jeremiah and Julia Flahive (Griffin) who would later become his step-grandparents after Joe lost his mother at the age of eight.  Joe had two younger brothers through Patrick and Mary although another four brothers came along after his father married again (Margaret Flahive) in 1898, five years after the death of his mother.

Patrick Dillon kept some horses and trained for others at Mount Hawke in Tralee.  Patrick’s sons spent their young lives with their father, working in the stables and accompanying him to the races around the south of Ireland. 

On New Year's day in 1901, young Joe accompanied his brother Bernard to England where Joe was already apprenticed to W.B. Purefoy at the famous Netheravon Stables, Druid’s Lodge, Salisbury Plain.  Both Joe and Bernard worked for the Netheravon stable and both became successful jockeys who were later followed into the industry by brother George.  The younger brothers, John, Ned, Michael and Jeremiah (Darby) later followed in their elder brothers’ footsteps when the whole family relocated to Epsom in Surrey around 1905/1906.

While Bernard’s career was well documented, Joe also had an outstanding career on the flat and over the sticks, winning the Irish Derby on Lord Rossmore in 1903.  Joe had five known rides in the Grand National finishing fifth on one occasion.  His choice to live a quieter life than his younger brother meant he rarely made headline news.

In March 1906 Joe left England for Austria to ride for one of the largest jumping yards in the country.  At the time Austria's jumping season was year round so Joe found lucrative work throughout the year unlike in Britain where rides for a jump jockey were confined to the winter months.

In August 1908 Joe married Violet Elsie Hare, daughter of trainer/owner, James Hare in London.  Joe had already been riding in Budapest which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he was also engaged to ride for Mr. Stedall whose horses were trained by Walter Nightingall at the famous stables South Hatch in Epsom.  Joe was described in the press at the time as a most competent and skilful rider.  Joe was regularly partnered with Mr. Stedall's one-eyed horse Rassendyl a "grand hurdler" for whom he named his house in Sutton, Surrey where Joe and his wife made their home. 

In 1909 a son was born to the couple who they named Bernard after his uncle.  During this period newspaper articles make it clear that Joe was back and forth, sharing his time between England and Austria.  However, events in Europe in 1914 made it an unstable place to reside and Joe made a perilous journey with his wife and child across Europe, back to England.  On 20th August 1914, just weeks after the outbreak of war, the newspapers reported that the young family had survived the trip and were safely back in England.

Although Joe enlisted in the army, newspaper reports show that he was still able to fulfill racing engagements during the war, returning to his native Ireland for the racing at the Curragh, Listowel, and Cork. 

After the War Joe hung up his boots and changed direction slightly.  He began training in Belgium and France.  Little is known at this point of his success at training, although family anecdotes suggest that Joe employed his younger brothers as apprentices on the continent.

In 1929, after twenty-one years of marriage, Violet Elsie died in Surrey, leaving Joe and her son Bernard behind. 

Joe remained a racing devotee for the rest of his life, passing away in Kingswood, Surrey in 1967.

Joe Dillon was my great-uncle, the brother of my grandfather John (Jack) Dillon.