Trevor Jones RIP

Trevor Jones RIP 1947-2019

TREVOR JONES was endlessly patient, kind, quiet and an unassuming, genuine man. The many words written after his death was announced at the beginning of June confirming that so many viewed him just as the team at International Thoroughbred and before that on Pacemaker knew for themselves. What you saw was what you got, there were no sides to Trev.

He was also proud, but it was not an arrogant pride, just a quiet knowledge of his own ability and of his skills from behind a camera lens.

His photos were like a second family, and woe betide you mistreat them once he had sent them on and they were out of his care. Trevor was talented while also blessed with a kind soul. Rather than give you a sharp word if you had badly cropped, edited poorly or placed one of Trev’s images badly, he would tirelessly explain yet again what you had done wrong, why it did not work, ask why you had thought it was a good idea and what you might do in future. He helped teach many the value of well-placed, well-edited and wellbalanced imagery.

Horseracing needs to count itself lucky that it proved to be an attractive working world to someone with the skillsets of Trevor Jones. He started his working life behind the counter of a camera shop in Eastbourne, but soon graduated to active camera work and went on to be employed by Allsport (now Getty Images Sport) for whom he covered sporting events around the world. As has been reounted, amongst his best photographs was one of Diego Maradona during the 1986 World Cup which featured on the front of Sports Illustrated in America. He was one of the first sports photographers to move to using colour.

When horseracing and bloodstock photography became the focus of his working life in the mid-1990s, Trevor and his wife Gill moved to run their own freelance agency Thoroughbred Photography Limited from their home in Worlington, near Newmarket until Trev’s retirement in 2015. The company supplied regular images for Pacemaker magazine, International Thoroughbred, Juddmonte Farms and Darley Stud. Trevor was the first to start taking more informal shots of stallions, for instance in a paddock, so moving away from the standard and then regular conformation shots.

But he could do those, too – and as anyone in bloodstock will testify getting a racehorse, in particuar a three-year-old colt and a future stallion, standing just right so he could look his best with any faultlines reduced, the lad standing upright at the right spot away from the horse and the light in a flattering tone, requires skills of its own and a high level of patience. Trevor was a master.

He was a regular in the racecourse press room, warmly regarded by all as one of the leaders of the pack – the applesized lump that developed on his shoulder a testiment to his long career carrying very large cameras around racecourses.

Trevor was old school, and possessed the ability required before the age of the digital camera to get a shot just right and first time – and he had the essential ability to manage production in a dark room.

Social media was not his thing – it did exasperate him that many thought they could just pick up a camera and snap away without due care and consideration, and those who dared breach copyright via online reproduction were reprimanded.

Whether you asked Trev to head down the road for a photo shoot at a farm that had just fluked a champion, requested that he pop into a regally smart establishment for a stud shoot, called on the Thoroughbred Photography team in panic right on print deadline to hunt an image that you had forgotten, or just needed some advice as to feature plans, he would always kindly do his best to help.

His support was integral in this magazine getting off on the ground and finding a life. We will be forever thankful for that encouragement.

After Trev’s death was announced, the words written by the many on those social media platforms that bemused him were “what a wonderful talented man”.

For once social media is correct.

Trevor, it was an honour to call you a colleague and a friend.

Thanks for everything Trev.