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‘A indomitable spirit’: farewell to much-loved equestrian stalwart

Obituary
Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • Barbara Rich, a stalwart of the Leicestershire equestrian and hunting community died on 19 January, aged 90.

    Barbara was born and raised in the Fernie country. Before World War II her father Brit Breitmeyer was a master of the Fernie, and the Westerby Basset Hounds.

    She was brought up to ride, and through friends she made at school she started visiting Ireland from a young age, buying and selling horses. She had a good eye for matching horses and riders.

    In 1965 she married George Rich, a horse-coper. They moved to Thorpe Satchville, in the Quorn country, where they ran a successful yard. When George died in 1981 Barbara carried on running the yard, with her long-term groom David Bland. Liveries over the years included trainer Dick Hern, Quorn master James Teacher, and The King.

    Barbara lived close to the best meets and the lorry would go out six days a week, taking people to hunt with all four Leicestershire packs.

    In the 1990s she often travelled with horseman Joss Hanbury to buy horses, visiting Ukraine, Russia, Poland and the Netherlands. But the Irish half-bred horse remained her favourite, she loved going to Ireland and horse fairs.

    Barbara was a respected judge, at major shows around the country and in France, Africa and the USA. She judged everything from hunters and Irish Draughts to cobs, riding horses and coloured horses and ponies. She was much sought after and on the panel for showing societies including Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain and the British Show Pony Society.

    Sophie, her daughter, said her mother had a “strong character and an indomitable spirit”.
    “She was very energetic and she would never mind driving to Wales to spend all day judging, then driving home the same day and going out to dinner,” said Sophie.

    “She loved hunting, she enjoyed seeing her horses out on the field going well and said it was a good showcase. She loved the social side, the hounds, all of it.”

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray

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