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Farewell to guage and horseman Norman Swallows

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  • Norman Swallow, the a lot sought-after choose and revered horseman died on 21 November, aged 81.

    Mr Swallow was born in Hertfordshire in 1941 and studied at artwork college in Hertford and later Derby. He learnt his early ring craft from “Miss Midd” of Pangshanger stables, displaying her horses and ponies within the Nineteen Sixties.



    He, with Roger Wren, will likely be remembered for operating a string of profitable eating places in London for over 25 years together with Waltons, the English Home and the English Backyard, then he moved to Shropshire in 1997.

    Mr Swallow purchased his first present horse, Pure Haven, from the Ascot gross sales for 200gns, and together with his great eye for proper conformation and high quality, went on to personal many excellent horses, together with Grandstand, Discuss Of The City, March Previous, and his favorite, the a number of champion light-weight hunter Sudden Flight.

    He rode many of those himself after which handed the rides to prime producers together with Jayne Ross, Ali Fernyough and Claire Oliver, gaining enormous pleasure of their successes.

    In Jayne’s phrases, “In addition to the great Sudden Flight, I rode some extra ‘attention-grabbing’ ones, on whom he would despatch me with directions ‘don’t get it sweaty pricey!’”

    He was a a lot sought-after choose for hunter and British Present Horse Affiliation courses, and was splendidly beneficiant in his reward for his co-judges, usually sending them letters after the present. He was identified for his unbiased and sincere views, and solely got here off judging panels final 12 months owing to well being points.

    He lived within the hills above Ludlow, Shropshire, together with his accomplice Alex Mear, and spent many an hour cooking and tending to his backyard, and regaling his many pals on Fb with every day feedback on one and all, together with his political opinions. Expertise was a problem and this led typically to a lot confusion on everybody’s half.

    In the previous few years, he had a nasty bout of Covid, pneumonia and a stroke, leading to hospital stays, however Mr Swallow remained cheerful and engaged as ever with the displaying world and past.

    He was one of many “old-school” gents, a real horseman and unfailingly well mannered, and the horse world is now a poorer place with out him. For positive his parting phrases can be “like to you all.”

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