LUCINDA SIMS

Lucinda Sims comes from a very horsey background. Her Great-Grandparents were the first married couple to represent Great Britain at show-jumping (Spa, Belgium 1904). Her Great-Grandfather, Harry Buckland, won the International High Jump at Olympia in 1909, at a then record height of 7’2”.

Her grandmother, Betty Skelton was President of the Side Saddle Association of Great Britain for thirty years until her death, at 96, in 2006 (for her obituary see: www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2012993,00.html). Mrs Skelton was the author of many published books on equestrianism. She owned and produced the show ponies Chocolate Box, Catriona, and Picture Play which, ridden by Lucinda’s mother (Jinks Bryer), were all-conquering in the late 1940’s and early ‘50’s. These ponies, with others, were to become the foundation stock of the modern show pony. Mrs Skelton also, for many years, taught Lucinda Green (née Prior-Palmer) to ride as well as other well-known riders such as Lorna Clarke and Angela Tucker.

Mrs Bryer breeds and produces Sports Horses (eventers) in Dorset where she was, until recently, the DC of the Cattistock Hunt Pony Club. In conjunction with Lucinda they have produced, in recent years, 5 advanced event horses.

Lucinda had a good grounding in basics having ridden since she was tiny and helping her mother break, school and produce. She has an all-round interest in all competitive spheres of the horse world at the highest level – but particularly Eventing and Showing. She was a professional child rider on show ponies and was in all PC Senior Interbranch teams from 13 years onwards. She gained her A Test and AI at 17. She started Eventing at 16 and was short-listed for Junior, Young Riders and Senior teams and made it to First Reserve for the all-conquering British Team for the World Championship 3DE of 1982. She has also competed in the non-championship British teams on various occasions in Ireland, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Over the years she competed in nearly 60 Three Day Events. Lucinda then retired to have children in 1988 but subsequently had a small renaissance on Rupert the Red whom she took from Novice to Advanced and then to compete abroad at International 3DE level. She retired properly in 1994 and now produces young horses at the Eventing Intro and Pre-Novice levels prior to handing them over to Antoinette Mckeowen to take further.

Lucinda first judged at the British Horse of the Year Show in 1988, and many times since. Apart from innumerable County and other shows she has also judged at the Royal International and also at the Royal Dublin Show, the Rand Show in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Grand National Show at Wyong, Sydney, Australia.In 2007 she judged the New Zealand Horse of the Year Show. This spring she judged in Johannesburg again and in November will be judging in Adelaide, South Australia. She judged the inaugural Sir Lancelot Trophy Side Saddle class at the Royal International at Hickstead in 2007. Sir Lancelot, bred by Mrs Skelton, was one of her top show horses.

In the last few years Lucinda has been the Chief Evaluator for the British Equestrian Federation Young Horse Evaluations and also the grading of mares into the British Sport Horse Stud Book. As well as being the Chief Instructor in her Pony Club branch (the R.A.) she is, also, a Pony Club A Test examiner and a British Eventing Accredited Trainer. She also continues her grandmother’s lifelong passion for side saddle as an A Grade Side Saddle Instructor.

Lucinda, as well as teaching full time, also runs the Harroway Stud, Penton Mewsey, Andover, continuing her grandmother’s show breeding/sports pony breeding policies as well as selecting the stallions her mother uses on her sports horse mares.

Lucinda stands and competes the home-bred exceptional Tobiano coloured pony stallion, Harroway Mr Harlequin, who is a multi national and international Champion, and whose siblings are well known and are now champions in their own right. Sadly, following illness late last summer, Harlequin will not be standing this year (2008). See also stud section.