Suffolk Ranger

THIS photo was taken at a hunter trial in 1949/50. The horse was called Suffolk Ranger, and he was out of a Suffolk by the thoroughbred stallion that walked around Suffolk every spring as part of the Hunters’ Society Improvement scheme.

Ranger arrived with me when he was a just-backed seven-year-old in 1944. It took a long time to train him, but we did compete at HOYS in 1951 doing the prix caprilli. We also competed at one of the first one-day events at Great Alkham, 1950.

He was such a good jumper and would tackle anything. For a bet we jumped the point-to-point drop fence at Newton Green from the wrong direction.