Andrew Jackson "Jack" Joyner (August 4, 1861 – September 1, 1943) 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 ...

Hall of Fame trainer and owner. Known as "Jack" and reported as "A.J." and "A. Jack", Joyner was born in

Enfield, North Carolina Enfield is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States, and was founded in 1740. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 2,532, which reflected an increase of almost 8% from the population of 2,347 in 2000. It is ...

, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Joyner. A fan of horse racing, in 1879 the seventeen-year-old Joyner had hung a series of racing pictures on the wall in the small town

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

where he was working when they were spotted by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer William Burch. Joyner's enthusiasm led to Burch offering him a job with his racing stable. From there, Jack Joyner went work for a short time as a jockey before turning to the training horses. He saddled his first winner in 1884 in a career that would span fifty-nine years. From that, six years were spent in England following passage of

State of New York New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

Hart–Agnew anti-betting law in 1908, the year he won more races than any trainer in the United States. Jack Joyner's abilities led to him training for major owners such as

James B. A. Haggin James Ben Ali Haggin (December 9, 1822 – September 12, 1914) was an American attorney, rancher, investor, art collector, and a major owner and breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. Haggin made a fortune in the aftermath of the ...

Sydney Paget Sydney Augustus Paget (19 April 1857 – 16 September 1916) was an English aristocrat who owned and raced Thoroughbred racehorses in the United States and who managed the racing operations for prominent owners, William C. Whitney and James Ben ...

, and for

Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as the eldest son ...

and

August Belmont Jr. August Belmont Jr. (February 18, 1853 – December 10, 1924) was an American financier. He financed the construction of the original New York City subway (1900–1904) and for many years headed the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which ran ...

whose horses he raced in England including

Whisk Broom II Whisk Broom II (1907–1928) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in the United Kingdom (under the name Whisk Broom) and in the United States. Whisk Broom showed high class form during four seasons of racing in Europe, but ...

. In addition, Joyner owned and raced a number of horses for himself both in the United States and in England. Jack Joyner worked in England from the time the racing season opened on March 23, 1909 until November 1915 when he returned to the United States and began a twenty-five-year association as trainer for stable owner

George D. Widener, Jr. George Dunton Widener Jr. (March 11, 1889 - December 8, 1971) was an American businessman and thoroughbred racehorse owner; one of only five people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Early l ...

During his career, Jack Joyner trained five Champions: * Ethelbert,

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 & Spo ...

(1899) * Waterboy,

American Champion Older Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part o ...

(1903) * Hamburg Belle,

American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Two-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 ...

(1903) * St. James,

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-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 the ''Daily Racing F ...

(1923) * Jamestown,

(1930) Jack Joyner died on September 1, 1943, at age eighty-two at George Widener's Erdenheim Stud at

Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is known for the high incomes of its residents and high real estate values, as well as its private schools. Geography Boundaries Chestnut Hi ...

. Following its creation, he was part of the inaugural class inducted in the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

in 1955. For a time,

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

, ran the A. J. Joyner Handicap, a six furlong event that notably was won by

Whirlaway Whirlaway (April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to w ...

in 1941.''New York Times'' - April 12, 1941
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joyner, A. Jack 1861 births 1943 deaths People from Enfield, North Carolina American racehorse trainers American Champion racehorse trainers American racehorse owners and breeders United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees