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 faculty in Hertford and later Derby. He learnt his early ring craft from “Miss Midd” of Pangshanger stables, exhibiting her horses and ponies within the Nineteen Sixties.
He, with Roger Wren, might be remembered for working 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 large eye for proper conformation and high quality, went on to personal many excellent horses, together with Grandstand, Speak 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 big 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 expensive!’”
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, typically sending them letters after the present. He was recognized for his unbiased and sincere views, and solely got here off judging panels final yr owing to well being points.
He lived within the hills above Ludlow, Shropshire, together with his associate 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 couple of years, he had a foul bout of Covid, pneumonia and a stroke, leading to hospital stays, however Mr Swallow remained cheerful and engaged as ever with the exhibiting 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 certain his parting phrases could be “like to you all.”
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