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Elwyn Hartley Edwards

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Elwyn Hartley Edwards
Born(1927-04-17)17 April 1927
Died9 December 2007(2007-12-09) (aged 80)
NationalityUK
Occupation(s)Equestrian writer and judge
Awards

Elwyn Hartley Edwards, MC, (1927–2007) was a British equestrian judge, editor and prolific writer.

Career

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Captain Elwyn Hartley Edwards served in the British Army for 13 years as a Gurkha officer in India and Malaya, and was awarded the Military Cross. He was later posted as an instructor of military history at the Indian Military Academy.[1][2]

Back in England, Edwards worked for Gibson Saddlers, rising to managing director. Edwards was the editor of Riding magazine for 18 years, and the consultant editor for Horse & Hound for five years. He served as a regional chairman of the British Horse Society and as a member of the BHS council, receiving the society's Award of Merit in 1993. He was a vice-president of the Riding for the Disabled Association, and vice-patron of the Horse and Pony Protection Association. He regularly judged horse shows in the UK and was an authority on lorinery (saddlery).[1][2]

Author

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Edwards wrote more than 30 books on horse-related subjects. His books were translated into 12 languages, reprinted numerous times, and Edwards would revise them when there were new developments.[1] Some books sold over a million copies.[2]

Genevieve Murphy of The Independent called Edwards "one of the most prolific and authoritative equestrian writers of the 20th century."[2] British Horse Society Chairman Patrick Print said: "He was a brilliant journalist and one of the world's leading authorities on saddlery and the history of it. He wrote many equestrian books which were published around the globe. Elwyn was a great historian of equitation and always wrote in a forthright manner, particularly in his regular column for the Society's magazine, British Horse."[3] Cassandra Campbell at his publisher J.A. Allen remarked, "He was a true delight to work with, incredibly charming and generous and very, very funny."[1]

Selected works

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  • A Standard Guide to Horse & Pony Breeds. 1982. OL 10496697M.
  • Bridleways of Britain. 1991. OL 21641826M.
  • Complete Book of the Horse. 1982 [1973]. OL 22791625M.
  • Encyclopedia of the Horse. 1985 [1977]. OL 21938319M.
  • Making the Young Horse: The Rational Way. 2006. OL 8278202M.
  • Saddlery: Modern Equipment for Horse and Stable. 1992 [1963]. OL 17911163M.
  • The Complete Book of Bits & Bitting. 2000 [1990]. OL 3999124M.
  • The Complete Book of Riding. 1993 [1989]. OL 15089197M.
  • The Foot and Shoeing. 1989. OL 11342335M.
  • Training Aids. 1990. OL 11597890M.
  • Wild Horses of the World. 1995. OL 17381069M.

Personal life

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Edwards married Mary Hodgson in 1955 and they settled in Chwilog, Wales in the late 1950s. Together they had two daughters. Edwards died 9 December 2007.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Elwyn Hartley Edwards". The Times. Obituary. London. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Murphy, Genevieve (15 December 2007). "Elwyn Hartley Edwards: Bestselling equestrian writer with a lucid and elegant prose style". The Independent.
  3. ^ "The BHS pays tribute to legend Elwyn Hartley Edwards". sportfocus.com. 12 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.