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Name: TRYON, Spencer MC (Capt.)

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Nee: bro of Charles Arthur Denzil Tryon and Henry Covey Tryon

Birth Date: 8.1.1879 Wandsworth, Surrey

Death Date: 21.7.1961 Molo

First Date: 1910 - after serving in Natal, Zulu Rebellion and SA War

Last Date: 1961

Profession: Racehorse breeder and trainer at ‘Vilima’, Molo

Area: Molo. KAD 1922 also has Capt. Tryon, Rumuruti, 1925 Vilima, Molo. Red 25 - Honorary Permit Issuer

Married: 1. In Wandsworth 1911 Dora Annie Davy b. 1873 Ecclesall Bierlow, d. 1929 Kensington; 2. 1930 Lilian May Tubb b. 1896, d. 1968

Children: Terence Adrian Spencer (1912-1975); Elsie Doreen (known as Doreen) (Waudby) (21 Oct 1913 Ecclesall Bierlow-2002 Fairseat, Nairobi)

Book Reference: Gillett, Nellie, Over my Shoulder, Markham, Binks, Empire, Frampton, Horizon, KAD, Red 25, Red 31, Hut, EAMR, Year Book, Red 22, Gazette, Racing, A. Allen, Rift Valley, Red 19, Barnes

War Service: See below, and served with EAMR - E Sqdn. 25/11/14 - Lieut. 25/11/14 & KAR in WW1 and won the MC

School: London then moved to Natal in the 1880s where his father was a farmer before becoming Senior Master at Michaelhouse in 1897.

General Information:

Racehorse breeder and trainer at ‘Vilima’, Molo where, through the years, he built up a very prosperous and happy home. His great interest was horses and he was regarded as Kenya's leading horseman of his time tutoring many of Kenya’s famous African jockeys including Siregoi, Arap Kalach, and Juma and Europeans Sonny Bumpus, Simba Lunan, George Barrow and David Bruce. Also an authority on birds. A good marksman and an outstanding angler, he also rode a winner at the Limuru races when 80 years old.
Military service pre WW1: January to March 1900 served with the Colonial Scouts in the Relief of Ladysmith. 17 March, enlisted Trooper, 1st Imperial Light Horse (No740). May 1900, took part in the relief of Mafeking. 22 November made Lieutenant. 30 November 1900 to 31 May 1902 Operations in Transvaal and Orange Free State. 23 June 1902, mentioned in General Kitchener’s final dispatches. 1906 – 25 April, Imperial Light Horse (Militia). Lieutenant, No 4 Troop, ‘A’ Squadron, Transvaal Mounted Rifles, Zulu Rebellion 1906.
Nellie - (1936) - 'Mrs Tryon wired asking me to take her place in the Mau-Molo ladies' team. Female Polo is going very strong ....... The N'bi females are hot stuff, and really play very well.  
Empire - Major Webb and Captain Tryon, who train a large string of racers at Molo on the Mau Escarpment. Captain Tryon doing most of the riding.
KAD 1922 - District Committee Member, KAR Officers Dinner Club
Red 25 - Steward, Jockey Club of Kenya
Year Book - 1953 - Trainer licensed by the Jockey Club of Kenya - Capt. S. Tryon
Gazette - 11/8/1915 - Appt. - EAMR - To be Lieutenant - Spencer Tryon, late Lieutenant, Imperial Light Horse.
Racing - Wins Derby on Shem-el-Nessim - 1923
Wins National on and trainer of ‘Cambrie’ - 1923
Wins National on and trainer of ‘Cambrie’- 1924
Wins Produce Stakes on 'Restless'. Bred, owned and trained by Spencer - 1925
Wins Derby on ‘Restless’. Bred, owned and trained by Spencer - 1926
Wins National on ‘Batswing’ - 1926
Wins Nakuru Breeders Plate on ‘Assam’ 1927
Wins St. Leger on and trainer and owner of ‘Assam’ - 1928
During the Prince of Wales's visit to Kenya, supplies the future King Edward VIII with a winning ride on ‘Merlin’ in the King's African Rifles Cup - 1928
Owner of 'King Stork' - 1929
Owner of 'Merlin' by 'Scotti' - 'Flying Kite' - 1929 - Winner of KAR Cup in 1928 and 1929; Winner of the Governors Conference Cup in 1929
Owner of 'Rosary' by 'Resco' - 'Pew' - 192
Owner of 'Loos' - 1929 - Mrs S. Tryon
Wins National with ‘Passe Partout’ as owner and trainer – 1933
Wins St Leger with ‘Joyous Gard’ as part-owner and trainer -1935
Wins Derby and St Leger with ‘Silverwood’ as owner and trainer– 1936
Wins National with ‘Kings Company’ as owner and trainer – 1937
Wins St Leger on ‘Pitlochry’ as trainer and jockey - 1941
Wins Derby on ‘Jarabub’ (at the age of 66) as jockey and trainer 1945 Dead heat in St Leger with ‘Malta’ as trainer - 1946
Wins last race at Limuru as a jockey aged 80 - 1959
The ‘Spencer Tryon Cup’ is still competed for annually at N’gong racecourse.
A. Allen - Late Imperial Light Horse, Transvaal Mounted Rifles, EAMR. Spencer Tryon was a very well known Kenya personality, especially in horse racing and polo circles. The "Spencer Tryon Cup" is still competed for today in one of Kenya's premier horse races.
Rift Valley - Member of the Rift Valley Sports Club - Jan 1929 - Elected - 11 Jul 1913 - S. Tryon
Gazette - 3/12/1919 - Register of Voters - Rift Valley Area - Spencer Tryon - Farmer - Molo
Web - London Times - Wedding - On 28 March 1878 at St Paul's New Wandsworth, Spencer Tryon of Itafa, Natal, son of the late Henry Curling Tryon of Beach House, Deal, Kent to Laura Ursula Philippa Read, daughter of the late Edward Read of Demerara.
Barnes - St. Alban's Church, Molo - Spencer Tryon, born 8/1/1879, died 21/7/1961
Red Book 1919 - East Africa Turf Club - Nairobi - Steward
Facebook - Charles 'Bill' Thompson -  It was Spencer and Lilian Tryon. Yes he did fight in the Boer war and at some stage had had 3 horses killed under him. My dad used to take care of their horses' veterinary needs. Another story about Spencer was when he was on safari. One of his African guides pointed to a bush near the road and said "Simba Bwana , Simba". He didn't believe them and stopped his truck and went over and kicked the bush. 2 full grown lions exited the other side. I also remember him taking part in a pig sticking contest at the Turi Gymkana one year. He was of the real Victorian school where you were expected to call your father "Sir"!
Gazette 15 Aug 1961 probate
Captain Spencer Tryon rode his first race in Kenya in June 1913. In a distinguished career spanning nearly 50 years as Kenya’s outstanding amateur rider and trainer, Tryon won every big race in Kenya, including four Derbys, three St Legers and five Grand Nationals. He also set a record, believe to be unique for any Derby worldwide, when he bred, owned, trained and rode ‘Restless ‘to win the East African Derby in 1926. Born in Dorset, Tryon went to Natal as a soldier and was wounded in both the Zulu war and the Boer War. At the end of 1910 he moved to East Africa and settled in Molo, which he left to fight in the 1914 to 18 war, winning the Military Cross. After the war he returned to Molo and developed Vilima farm. He acquired his first horse ‘Bix’, an Abyssinian pony off which he shot lion in between winning races. In 1927 Tryon built impressive stone stables and a circular gallop with a practice polo field in the centre. Tryon’s first wife Dora died in 1929 and he married Lillian née Tubb who was also a fine horsewoman. Trial took great interest in training jockeys, both African and European, mentoring Sonny bumpers, Simba Hainan, George Barrow, David Silvester, Macharia, Siregoi, Arap Kalach, Juma and others. Tryon once fielded a polo team composed entirely of syces, and as well as playing polo, was a jockey, breeder, owner, trainer and steward of the Jockey Club of Kenya. In his career he often topped the Gentleman Riders’ list and was leading trainer, leading owner and top breeder, all more than once. Tryon lived by his own dictum “the best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse”. He died at his home in 1961 at the age of 82 and was buried at Saint Alban’s church in Molo.

 

 

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