who is so old that their trainer was...............

Believe Dick Stilwell trained Jenny Loriston Clark and Lucinda Green
Funnily enough my current trainer mentioned him to me last week.
 
Did a 3 day clinic with Dick Stillwell when I was a teenager - remember getting time off school for it. He terrified me initially especially with some of his cutting/sarcastic comments to other participants (fortunately not to me as I would have died on the spot!). Really educational and fun too - I still use some of the exercises he taught. Shows how old I am :D

Yes Orangehorse he was rather rude at times!
 
I had some lessons with Dick Stilwell when I was at Talland. I vividly remember him referring to the horse I was riding for one of them as Hereford, because he thought it was closely related to a Hereford cow! He made us do a demon exercise involving grids and ten metre circles - I still use that exercise when I'm teaching nowadays

I'm 39, so not ancient ancient!
 
Methinks I am older than you!
Dick Stillwell, a tough old beggar but a brilliant instructor was nothing like as tough compared to Eddie Goldman! Viv Boone, Tony Collings, Bertie Hill, Dick Hern, were all great instructors, tough, hard as nails and took no excuses but they could get the results.

Nowadays most people riding would not stand the demands they made! I can well imagine the tears.


So. Dick Stillwell was short listed for the Olympics. Competed both eventing and show jumping. Some of his 'tricks' were brilliant and I still use them.

Eddie Goldman trained the UK eventing team. A good instructor but would play to an audience and very rarely ever offered praise.

Viv Boon was the first woman to compete and finish Badminton. Red headed and a temper to match. She bred most of her own competition horses and was one of the first in the UK to compete show jumping on a stallion.

Tony Collings ran Porlock, at the time the best riding school in Europe. Dick Hern - who went on to become a racehorse trainer was an instructor there.

Bertie Hill rode in the Olympics and went on to become an excellent instructor.
 
lionman said:
Dont know Sybil,. you must have been in the Hampshire area.
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Next door county, but its only down t'road :)
My mum was so embarrassed at his 'forthright' way of putting things! :rolleyes:
Came to PC & taught seniors a few times too, got quite a lot out of training for my B & A tests for the riding from him :) despite the views he had on some pet subjects :D

Sybil judged show ponies, hacks - and just about anything else.
Daughter of Horace Smith, she taught our present queen to ride & also started off Charles etc too.
Used to come & judge at the local RC shows in her very late years (was still scarey person!)
 
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The Fuzzy Furry said:
Blimey! I went to a session at RMA & had Dick!

Also had the odd lesson as a tiny from Sybil Smith (does she figure on a radar with anyone?)
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Yes! I met her but never had lessons with her!
She had a riding school at or near Maidenhead. One of the first indoor schools - built with bricks! She taught the Queen and Princess Margaret.

Heck I am old! Still riding though and working full time.

If you remember these people then you must also recall Ted Williams show jumping Pegasus, George Hobbs, Pat Smythe a very young David Broome, Andrew Fielder, (also very young) Dougie Bunn amongst some of the top show jumpers.
 
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Foxhunter49 said:
Yes! I met her but never had lessons with her!
She had a riding school at or near Maidenhead. One of the first indoor schools - built with bricks! She taught the Queen and Princess Margaret.
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It was at Holyport just outside Maidenhead, they had (allegedly) the most well trained school ponies in the area at the time

Count Orssich & Valerie Millwood made my early showing career get going, before I naffed off everyone & wanted to ride over fences :rolleyes:
 
I know I am old, but I had lessons with Dick Stilwell. Frank Weldon was our instructor at PC and I was based with Bertie Hill in Devon for two years. The first 10 minutes of every lesson was rising trot without stirrups! I can still feel the pain! All great trainers - very tough, but very fair and you never said no.
 
On an aside - Dick didn't seem particularly rude. That probably had something to do with having Gerry Sinnot as jump trainer!! Brilliant, but no sycophant...
 
Dont think I am quite old enough for this thread by the time I knew Lucinda Green ,Lionel Dunning they were already legnds Learnt my trade with Karen Dixon,Helen Bell and Ian Stark not forgetting the infamous Harvey Smith :D:D
 
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