We are sad to announce the death of Lynn Heydon, a founder member of Horsham & District Riding Club. She contacted the BHS in 1966 to enquire about forming a Club in the Horsham area but the idea was put on hold when she became pregnant with her first child. I hadn’t met her when I made a similar enquiry to the BHS the following year. They put me in touch with Lynn and she invited a small group of keen local riders to her and husband John’s farm at Faygate and there, around the kitchen table, HDRC came into existence in the autumn of 1967.
Lynn was a very competent rider. Before her marriage she had worked for and been trained by Sam Marsh, a highly respected and successful rider/producer of show horses from his farm in Kent, and from where he developed the pelham bit bearing its name: Scamperdale.
John & Lynn had four children as well as a farm to run so her involvement in the Club was somewhat limited, but she had sown the seed which blossomed into the Club we all love and enjoy today. Youngest son Zac followed his mother into the horse world and is now part of the successful team at Westlands Farm Stud, Charlwood, where he backs, schools and competes the young stallions to a high standard.
It was lovely that John & Lynn were able to join us for our Club’s Golden (50th) Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Hurtwood Park Polo Club in 2017. We send our condolences to John, Zac and all the family on their sad loss.
Daphne Poupart
President HDRC 1997-2017