Susie Woodhouse
Leading light of the worlds of foxhunting and equestrianism, and hostess of euphoric parties
SUSIE WOODHOUSE, who has died aged 91, was a celebrated figure in the postwar foxhunting scene, and one of the finest riders across country. She made a major contribution to hunting and equestrianism after marrying into the Woodhouse family, owners of the brewers Hall & Woodhouse based in Blandford Forum, founded in 1777 – nowadays the second oldest family-owned brewers in Britain.
Susie Woodhouse was an outgoing personality who brought enthusiasm and skill to the hunting field – and to the postwar growth of eventing, in which she excelled as both rider and an organiser. With her husband, John Woodhouse, she founded and ran the Portman Horse Trials in 1976, which survives today, and helped set up Lulworth Castle Horse Trials, serving as an eventing steward for many years. She rode for the first time in the Badminton Horse Trials at the comparatively senior age of 42, finishing 12th on her horse Corchy.
Although she had also point-to-pointed with success, foxhunting was her first love. Her exuberance when hunting in the stiffly fenced Portman Hunt vale country in North Dorset caused Horse and Hound’s hunting correspondent to observe: “When Mrs Woodhouse emits a holloa in the Portman country the decibel level impels foxes to run from cover next door in the South and West Wilts country.” He also noted that the Woodhouse family’s enthusiasm and drive in the hunting field produced an exceptional amount of fun, with a devoted local following and many visitors.
Felicity Marian Woodhouse, known as Susie since childhood, was born at Ascot on July 14 1927, the second of four children of Rupert Anson and his wife Molly. Anson, a younger son of the 3rd Earl of Lichfield, was an outstanding cricketer who played for Middlesex.
After the family moved to the sporting Sparkford Vale on the borders of Dorset and Somerset there was ample opportunity for Susie Woodhouse to experience hunting over challenging country. She was a keen and successful point-to-point rider, and through their shared sporting enthusiasms she met John Woodhouse, who was to become his family firm’s head brewer. They married in 1957, although she declared that she could not abide drinking beer.
Fortunately Susie Woodhouse was not averse to alcohol in other forms, and she was hostess at many euphoric hunting parties in Old Ford House, their Blandford home. John Woodhouse was the Portman Hunt’s Hon Secretary from 1952, and served as Field Master.
From 1969 John became a Joint Master with his younger brother Dick, a successful amateur ’chase rider, and with other Joint Masters they created a team which produced exceptional sport. They appointed an excellent huntsman, Geoff Harrison, who ensured that the Portman hounds produced thrilling runs in their vale country below Shaftesbury, and further south, beyond Sturminster Newton.
The Woodhouse Masters were encouraged by their wives, known as “Susie John” and “Susie Dick”. Hunting with the Portman in those days was an enjoyable family day out.
After John’s death in 1986, Susie Woodhouse continued to support the Portman Hunt, and took on the role of chairman. She was known for her irreverent sense of fun. She penned amusing lyrics for the annual Hunt Revue, which she produced, and wrote rhymes about friends, some of them scurrilous, which she would recite at parties with little encouragement.
When the distinguished Master and huntsman Alastair Jackson began hunting the adjoining South Dorset pack in 1969 he told Susie Woodhouse he hoped she would hunt with his hounds. “Well, you look very young, with your mother’s milk still on you, but I shall give you a chance,” she replied. She became a lifelong friend of Jackson and his wife, Tessa.
After attending a parade of the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, in which her son Mark served, Susie Woodhouse remarked to the Duke of Edinburgh: “We had your lad out with us the other day,” referring to one of Prince Charles’s visits to the Portman.
The day after a service of thanksgiving for Susie Woodhouse, her son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Tessa Woodhouse, saw their horse, Present Man, win the Badger Ales Trophy steeplechase at Wincanton for the second year in succession. Susie Woodhouse and her sister-in-law, Sally Woodhouse, had urged Hall and Woodhouse to embark on the sponsorship in 1962; it is the longest continuous racing sponsorship in Britain.
Susie Woodhouse is survived by her sons, Marj and Andrew, and by her daughter, Clare.
Susie Woodhouse, born July 14 1927, died October 19 2018