A man who has been offering hunt hirelings in the Cheshire area for 30 years is to retire and sell all his horses and equipment.
The sale of Roger Rimmer’s 35 horses and numerous other items will take place on 5 September at his Kenton Wood stables in Formby.
Mr Rimmer, whose horses hunt with the Wynnstay (Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn’s) and Cheshire Forest, told H&H: “I’m 63 so I’ve decided to retire and go out and do some hunting myself.”
Joint-master of the Cheshire Forest, Peter Heaton, told H&H: “Roger’s a real character and has been hunting with us for 30-odd years. He’s an asset to the hunt and his horses seem to go very well.”
And Sir Jonathan Clark, joint-master of the Wynnstay said: “He has provided a fantastic service to the hunt and all sorts of people who have stayed with us have gone out on his hirelings.”
Alastair Brown of Wright Manley auctioneers is handling the dispersal sale, which includes 35 “hand-picked Irish horses”, tack, two horse boxes and a cold-water hydrotherapy spa.
Mr Brown said the catalogue is still to be drawn up but it should attract a lot of interest.
He said: “It’s quite unusual to have a dispersal sale of this sort. There will be vet on hand on the day to check the horses over for customers and a cross-country course where they can try them.
“The lots will be unreserved as they are there to be sold.”
H&H hunting correspondent Rory Knight-Bruce has used Mr Rimmer’s horses a number of times.
“It’s a great shame that he is retiring,” he said. “His hunter yard at Formby is amazing — an ancient coaching lodge and stables right by the beach.”
For details of the sale contact Wright Manley, tel: 01829 262100 or www.wrightmanley.co.uk
This article was first published in Horse & Hound (23 July, ’09)
