Children’s ponies and racehorses are normally in the back of stud owner Lucy Procter’s lorry — not a life-size War Horse puppet.
But last weekend (7 November) Lucy came to Joey’s rescue after getting a surprise call from husband Doug.
The famous puppet’s prop lorry had broken down on the A303 at Mere on route to Sherborne Abbey.
Joey was due to make a guest appearance in the Abbey on Saturday night with War Horse author Michael Morpurgo as part of the literary festival.
But the prop lorry was unrepairable and the chances for Joey making it in time were looking slim.
“Our accountant lived next door to the Abbey and they knocked on her door and she suggested they ring Doug Procter,” explained Lucy to H&H. “He phoned me to see if I was free and I set off with William, my 10-year-old son, who had just finished studying War Horse at school.”
She delivered Joey at Sherborne Abbey in the family’s 3.5-ton box and stayed for that evening’s performance.
“It was very moving and afterwards we loaded Joey back onto the lorry and he stayed the night at the stud with our 20 mares to keep him company,” said Lucy.
Luckily her daughter’s eventing season had finished so on Sunday Lucy was then free to take Joey to Iddesleigh in Devon for a photo shoot on Remembrance Sunday.
Michael Morpurgo, who lives in Iddesleigh, was inspired to write War Horse after listening to the stories told by the war veterans in the village pub.
After the pictures were taken Lucy dropped Joey back in London at the New London Theatre where William was treated to a backstage tour.
The Proctors and their three children have been invited to a performance of War Horse in the Christmas holidays as a thank you for all their efforts to help Joey.
