Tommy Smith died March 5, 2013, at his home in Upperco, Md., due to complications from a 2001 riding accident that left him quadriplegic.
Tommy was born in Middleburg, Va. — descended from a family of fox hunters — and was on horseback before he could walk. He prepared for Princeton at the Taft School and left the University to pursue a career as a jockey, becoming, according to The Washington Post, “one of the most celebrated horsemen of his generation.”
Guiding the bay thoroughbred Jay Trump to victory in the British Grand National in 1965, Tommy and his horse became the first American pair to win that prestigious steeplechase. A field of 47 had started the race, but only 14 crossed the finish line. Tommy had trained a winless Jay Trump from a serious injury to become a champion. Together they also won the Maryland Hunt Cup three times.
Tommy retired from racing in 1966 and became an executive for health-care businesses in Minnesota and Boston. In 1995 he moved to Maryland to train thoroughbreds.
Frances Cochran Smith, his wife of 49 years; his children, William and Alexandra; a sister, Kitty Smith; and two grandchildren survive him. The class extends condolences to them.