Thursley Horse Show & Gymkhana: Thursley Horse Show Society - work in progress

Aug 12

3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

These were huge events that took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s before being wound up. Clearly they were taken very seriously, note that the President was Richard Dimbleby and the array of Vice-Presidents included Lt Col W Whitbread who, at that time, owned Thursley Common. The beneficiary of any profits raised was Thursley Village Hall.

The artefacts, programmes and letters below give an idea of the scale of the Society but we have just one anecdotal record and no photographs of any of the events that occurred between 1958 and 1963. We would love to receive some! Please send to: https://www.thursleyhistorysociety.org/contact

We are grateful to Anne Scales for providing her recollection of this event:

The committee consisted of:

Lt-Col Whitbread of the brewery family lived at Warren Mere up what is now the A3, a Lutyens house with Jekyll garden. He owned a large part of Thursley and Rodborough Commons
Mr Charrington wasn’t of the brewing arm of the family but was a coal man. He lived in Street House.
Mr Jupe lived in the Well House.
Anthony Kentish was married to Ros and they lived at Sunset Cottage. When they moved to Lower House, a Mrs Boswell, who rescued cats, lived at Sunset Cottage
Mr Jobson (Anne’s father) was an ENT surgeon and they lived at Foldsdown.
Dr Craddock-Henry was a dental surgeon who lived at Fieldfare, Pitch Place.
Mr Ellison lived in Sawyers. He and his wife were killed on the A286 leaving two daughters.
Mr Crawfurd lived in Bracken Hill on Pitch Place.
Mr Cridland was a garden designer. He was married to Julia and they lived at Foldsdown Cottage. It was the old gardener’s cottage for the big house but was sold when Anne’s family moved in.

The shows were all held on Easter Saturday. The first one (Mill Farm) was in a field on the Bowlhead Green side of the now A3, close to where the Ransons farm shop used to be. Rodborough was as you’d imagine between what is now Warren Park and Rodborough Hill.

Anne also recounted this charming memory:

There was always a Dance at the old Village Hall after the show. In the tradition of the time, there were supper parties at various houses (probably for the wealthier villagers) before the dance. She remembers wearing a white dress with black polka dots, aged about 13 to one of the dances and being completely overawed on meeting one of the Craddock-Henry sons who was very dishy. Sadly her father was on call that evening and he was called to the hospital so she was taken home early.

The following is from an archive (Box 8):

Trophies & Artefacts

1) The Ridgeway Challenge Cup, Presented by Mr. W. E. Jupe with base:

· 1958 Sheila Barnes "Spud Thompson"

· 1959 John James "Rita" / Paul Oliver "Grey Mist"

· 1960 Suzanne Cox "Coco"

· 1961 Belinda Napier "Sharon"

· John Kilby "Gay Crusader III"

· Michael Cawley "Smokey XII"

· Caroline Webb "Pratney"

· 1962 Belinda Napier "Sharon"

2) Thursley Village Hall Societies Challenge Cup For Working Hunter with base:

· 1958 Rosemary Greville-Williams "Top Twig"

· 1959 Mrs. Vivian Boon "Rathkeale"

· 1960 B. Gibson "The Chief"

· 1961 "Knight of The Wold" Valerie Clark

· 1962 "Suala" Mrs. C. Davico

1958

1959

1960

1961

Small brown envelope addressed to Mrs. M. Bennett containing receipt dated 25/3/61 & Thursley Horse Show 1961, Car Park Ringside £1 rubber gummed label.

1962