The Suffolk Punch

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Susanna Forrest, on If Wishes Were Ponies, posted a piece about sidesaddle on British Pathé.  For those who haven't come across British Pathé before, this was a news service who produced cinema newsreels (and, it seems, anything they thought someone might be interested in) for transmission before the main feature film started.  The site is an absolute treasure trove, and I found this lovely clip of a Country Show at Ipswich during World War One, when the War Office sent "300 overseas farmer-soldiers" to see the show.

Those are proper horses.

Comments

Anonymous said…
They are magnificent.

Here, by the way, is a wonderful 1950s gymkhana in colour, complete with "Cart Horse Derby".

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=707
22 March 2011 at 07:47
Jane Badger said…
It's an absolute treasure trove isn't it? I love that clip of the cart horse Derby, though I did think they were going to do the potato race! I think some of the entrants for the Derby had obviously been practising their starts.
There's a clip of mules at a military gymkhana in Greenwich (there's some ideas for the Olympics in this one - I fancy the officers in full uniform doing the three-legged race myself). http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=707
22 March 2011 at 08:25
Rosemary Hall said…
Thank you very much for the piece about the Suffolk Punches -it is delightful! Incidentally, there is a lovely picture of a horse in the "Images for sale" section of the Imperial War Museum site - you have to select "Chelmsford" -which is my home town.
22 March 2011 at 12:27
Fiona said…
Have you seen the one with Crabbet Stud & Blue Peter the 1939 Derby winner? It is called Salute the Horse (I think).
It is fabulous a good thing to watch if you are down.
22 March 2011 at 17:49
Jane Badger said…
Thanks Rosemary - I'll do a post about that picture and its attendant story!

Fiona, I hadn't seen that clip before but I have now. I absolutely see what you mean about its cheering properties. Those were the days when Arabs were Arabs, and I love the montage of horsy clips at the end. Thanks!
23 March 2011 at 10:53
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