Major Hugh D. Richardson was born and raised in Scotland. Of his childhood, he writes:
When a youth I was ardently attached to athletic sports
and at most of such exercises met with few rivals and
fewer superiors. I was for three successive years victor
at the Scottish games. I won, wore, and retained the
champion medal of the Holyrood Gymnastic Club, of
which Club I was also President or Captain—an office to
which I was annually re-elected while I remained in
Scotland. I have heard much of remarkable feats in high
leaping; I can only say that I was never personally
vanquished. My peculiar method will be unfolded when
treating of that exercise. As a swimmer I was long
known as the champion of Newhaven, whither it was my
custom to resort every morning during a long and
happy residence in Edinburgh. As a runner I had few
superiors; and at gymnastic exercises generally was
anything but a mean proficient.
Later in life, he was living in Dublin. He wrote several books on domesticated animals, including horses and bees. His book "The Dog: Its Origin, Natural History and Varieties" led to a resurgence of interest in the Irish Wolfhound breed, which he claimed is a heavier variety of the Scottish Deerhound breed. Richardson started a breeding program to save the Irish Hound by reportedly using the Glengarry type of Scottish Deerhounds, Spanish Hounds, Pyrenean Mountain Dogs and now-extinct Pyrenean sighthounds, Serbian Greyhounds and a number of other breeds.