John W. Russell, born in England, has spent his entire life connected with Thoroughbred racing. The son of a prominent English trainer, he left his homeland at an early age to pursue his own career as a trainer in America. After training champions and many other top class horses at racecourses from Paris to Hong Kong, and throughout America, he retired in 1995 to become a free-lance writer for various Thoroughbred magazines including The Blood-Horse and Backstretch. He has written and directed two short videos on racing and been a guest speaker at various functions. He now lives in Southern California with his wife and two sons.