There were places called Ebbisham Farm, Wildwoods and
You have the most brilliant memory!
What a blast from the past, I remember all of those horses and people. For some reason Topper, Santos and Puff the Magpie pony, Barney, Strike, Buffy and Curly spring to mind. Then there was Sportsman Sunday, does that still happen? I stopped riding there when I went away to school and got ponies.
One would hope that’s the case. I wonder if the owner’s of Ebbisham Farm would rent it out again such a shame to leave it empty and deteriorating
I used to look after Puff and Sherry on the row on the front yard at one point! Yes, I remember Curly, Cascade, Strike, Jet, Abdul, Toby, Colleen and a good number more!
Puff was in a corner block of three next to the indoor school with the black pony with one eye, Jet? I loaned Puff. Colleen belonged to Harry Secombe at one time. The only one I don’t remember is Abdul. Kismet was another favourite of mine. Wow this is amazing, can’t remember what I did this morning but this is like yesterday ??
When I was there, Jet was up the yard on the RH side, sharing a 3 box arrangement. Strike was in the front box I think, you went through this box to get to the other 2 boxes on each side, with Jet and little Merlin in them. (The back 2 boxes were level with the end of the feed room that ran behind the bigger stables opposite the office) Jet was very elderly then, mind you many were!
I was struggling remembering Saffron’s name thank you! Solitaire was ancient but such a sweety and showed me that one eye wasn’t a problem. I took the ride on a one eyed youngster no one wanted because of it and he went to grade A. The indoor school was the reason I went there - sounds like they needed it! The golf course had already taken the paddocks. Councils seem to turn everything into houses or golf courses! The never ending ragwort pulling and poo picking two jobs that will continue for eternity ?
Yes I remember South Weylands and it’s still going.
Thank you so much even the muck heap brings back memories!
A quick Google found sales details from 2019, photos show it looking rather a dump, nothing like the pristine place it used to be. No living accom either, must have been sold off previously.
Hello, I rode at Ewell stables in 50s to 60s. Shep owned it. His favourite horse was Royal Enchanter(chanter) in loose box next to Cherry a little ExmoorI first rode at About. 6 years old. Other horses Brandy ,Misty, Gannet, Irish Star Irish Pride Candy Charm Tiggy,Toby Harmony Peggy and other. I used to go at weekend ,get there at 6.0am to start mucking out and if early do your favourite horse first. I was first taken there by my neighbour, older than me and Shep let her take me out on a pony and we went on our own. Rode home to Stoneleigh, Richland Ave and all round Nonsuch Park. Anther ponyJet. I moved away before it closed. also rode at Dell cottage owned by Sally Collins when I was About 10 and Tottenham Corner Stables on ponies rented out by Mr Sylvester an ex jockey . He let you go out on your own in the days when you could ride all over Epsom Downs. Those were the days. Hope you get this. Ton-up.
Oh, that brings back memories. I used to work at Huntersfield just after Jo moved there from Berkshire and was there for nearly a year but the travelling from Croydon (all public transport) got to me in the end and I moved to hunters in Sussex where I lived in. We spent a lot of time putting right and painting all the boxes (and pulling ragwort across the lane); half the boxes in the pic's didn't exist then; shame to see it so run down. I had my own youngster there, Angel and she was kept in the box next to the tack room. I remember we all (jo, Nick, her hubby (Mike?) a couple of liveries and I went on a ride to explore and we ended up on the Downs. I was on a small pony called Pedro and told them to wait for me to catch up but he was nearly as fast as Erica! I was there when Harry Secombe came for his first lesson as he had a part in Pickwick Papers and needed to learn; I can still hear him giggling across the paddock! I can remember some of the horses already mentioned as they came there with Jo; she used to get them from Derek Rickett's and his dad at that time.
Hi, I rode at Ewell village from age of 6 . Shep had one leg. His favourite horse was a thoroughbred named Royal Enchanter. I think Chris(Christine was head girl. I used to go at 6.00 am on weekends to muck out and help all day . Got to ride to farrier in village. I rode Cherry, Gannet and Misty. They were safest as I wasa child. My neighbour rode there and took me and as She was older Shep obviously trusted her and we could ride out on our own. I’m 70 now. I went on to be a proud horse owner but sadly that’s in the past now. I can name all the horses at them stables at that time. At Age of 10 or 11 I started riding at Dell Cottage owned by Sally Collins in Dell Lane which led to the downs.. love to here more…
Hi Dante44 I used to ride at this riding school in the late 70s early to mid 80s till it closed down. The council wanted land for flats, so they put the rates up so high that poor Shep could no longer susttain it. Very sad day saying goodbye to the horses on auction day. I used to ride Sonny, a very old chestnut gelding. Then I rode King, a grey gelding, also rode Dolly a big dappled grey Hunter and finally Twiggy, a bay 3 quarter bred mare. Used to go riding for 2 hours over Epsom Downs. Bitsa was the resident kitty and all the cats there, probably about 5 were her babies. It was a great place and Shep also had a dog, cannot remember his name. Shep was a lovely cheeky old guy, lost his leg in the war. Even on his one leg and crutches, he always had a gentle command over the horses just by standing there. Did you ride there?
This brings back memories. I was born in Ewell in the 50s and all these yards are familiar to me, but especially the ones adjacent to Walton on the Hill. I was in the Pony Club with Anthea Towill and remember when they started their riding school in Ebbisham Lane in the early 70s. When I was a child, a close family friend lived at Wingfield Farm (which at that time was, I believe, owned by the local authority) and they had a herd of jersey cows which they milked twice a day by hand - there was no electricity on the site and the loo was outside - this was in the early 60s. I remember as a small child riding one of the cows (held on by the farmer) back from the fields for milking. (I also remember the 10 foot snow drifts down Ebbisham Lane in the winter of '63).
Hello, it’s been a long time since your post about Ewell Riding School (William Balmain) one legged shep. I worked for him briefly in 1967 and have lots of memories of the horses and stable girls. The hours were long especially in the summer, 2 girls looked after 13 stabled horses and 2 in a field on the Ewell bypass. I worked 6 days a week for the sum of £3! He boasted expert tuition but in truth we had no training at all! He would ride out with us from time to time on his prized bay mare Irish Star and once a year we all rode to Horseman’s Sunday on Epsom Downs in September. They were great days and we did get up to a lot of mischief. Happy days when I should have been in school!! I never did smoke cigarettes like many of his girls and they teased me about it but I am jolly pleased now. Regards Mary
