Farewell to much-loved dressage judge and former chef d’equipe

Rosemary Herbert, the respected dressage judge and mentor died peacefully on 20 September 2024, aged 96.

Rosemary, or Roy as she was known to many of her friends, was born on 28 January 1928. Brought up in Lancashire, she enjoyed riding her pony on the beach and in the sand dunes at Southport, and going to local gymkhanas and Pony Club events.

After school, Rosemary attended Porlock Vale Riding School under Captain Tony Collings, who was famous for training the 1952 Olympic eventing team. Rosemary developed her knowledge and riding skills, and her passion for dressage was sparked.

She became secretary of the Grafton branch of the Pony Club in the 1970s when she frequently wrote for dressage judges and around this time, decided to become a judge herself. She quickly moved up the levels and in 1987 became a List One judge.

From here, she became involved in pony, junior, young rider and senior teams, travelling all over Europe as a chef d’équipe or selector for Britain. Some of her proudest moments were when Great Britain won a young rider silver medal in 1986 and a senior European silver medal in 1993.

She enjoyed mentoring up-and-coming judges, many of whom have become respected judges themselves. She was hugely respected in the equestrian world, priding herself on her integrity and always willing to share her knowledge and great wealth of experience with others.

Rosemary prided herself on her integrity and her daughter Judy Hancock – also a dressage judge – remembers her mother’s sound advice to always judge honestly: “She always used to say, just go with your gut. Don’t try to say what you think people want to hear. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. If it’s right, it’s right, but just be true to yourself.”

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