Prized cob Billy doing late owner proud
After Robert Bosworth tragically passed away earlier this year, his beloved Billy Horse gave him “one last pull” at his funeral, through Waterfoot. While their annual June trip together to the Appleby Horse Fair is sadly no more, the stallion, who is helping to raise mental health awareness and has sired a colt - Bos - did his late owner proud at this year’s show.
IN the first week of June, grandfather- of- three Robert and his old friend would head the 85 miles north together to Appleby.
The week-long annual fair, attended by tens of thousands of equine enthusiasts, was a holiday and would lift the spirits.
Robert, a self-employed lime spreader, had owned a few horses over the last 18 years, but Billy, a big, gentle stallion with an even temperament - a ‘proper cob’ - had become his Appleby favourite.
They had been together for eight years when, in January, they were sharply and painfully parted. Robert, who used to work in the quarry in Bacup, died suddenly aged 49, his body found down at Clough Bottom reservoir, near Water.
Poignantly, a photograph of him riding in the trap drawn by Billy, submitted on the day Robert passed away, won an online competition for horse fair fans. Organisers called it a “fitting tribute”.
This year, global events dictated that the colourful Cumbria show could not go ahead in its traditional form, but with the competition moving online, judges’ prizes in categories such as ‘best condition’ and ‘best trot’ were replaced by two main awards.
From well over 100 entries, Billy’s portfolio of photos and videos won the ‘Vet’s choice’ category, and came second in the ‘People’s choice’, reaching 16,000 viewers.
But Billy wasn’t finished there. He was also crowned reserve champion in the ‘Proper Cobs’ competition, again attracting more than 100 horses from all over the world via Facebook, and has posed for a Peaky Blinders-style professional photo shoot.
Leah has also offered horse and cart rides with him as part of a charity fundraiser.
Proceeds from the event will be shared between the Lily Foundation and a new Rossendale-based Community Interest Cooperative focusing on mental health support including male suicide prevention, depression and PTSD therapy.
Robert’s daughter Leah, from Newchurch, said Billy’s results have done her dad proud and have been “absolutely overwhelming”.
“I definitely think my dad will be looking down with his big silly smirk with how proud he is of his Billy Horse,” she said.
“He’s such a big lovely horse, beautiful inside and out, so when he’d won something for doing his ‘job’ - that was my dad’s holiday every year driving up to Appleby - it was just lovely.
“I do feel sad Dad isn’t around to see all of this. I think Billy was a favourite just because of how he is. He’s big, loads and loads of bone and feather, and his temperament is just the best. He’s a stallion but he never puts a foot wrong. Both my kids ride him in and out of the field - he’s just a kind and gentle horse.”
Leah, 28, said Billy is a part of the family, and has felt Robert’s absence as they all have.
“I think Billy misses my dad as much as we all do - they were just a team,” she said.
“But on the whole he’s happy. I haven’t changed anything for him, he’s on the same farm, goes in the same field, he’s obviously used to me and the kids anyway.”
It would have been Robert’s 50th birthday on May 5 and with a party out of the question, Leah asked friends and family to have a drink for him and play his favourite song ‘Country Roads’.
She also met her sister Lauren, 24, for a drive with Billy at the reservoir. Their dad’s ashes were with them on the cart.
Billy took over the Appleby reins from another of Robert’s favourites Ellie, and together they have now produced a colt of their own.
“I’ve called him Bos, after dad,” said Leah. “He’s a mini Billy with nearly the exact same face markings! I kind of thought when I first saw him it was like dad had given us another Billy.”