Farewell to fabulous horseman and ‘true gentleman’

Fabulous horseman and true gentleman Anthony Steward has died, aged 85.

Anthony Steward was riding before he was walking. Mentored by his father Jim, Anthony rode show ponies and showjumpers throughout the country while hunting with all the Leicestershire packs, frequently riding with the Fernie and the Woodland Pytchley, which had its kennels close to his home in Brigstock and where he took up the amateur whip.

With winters spent riding in point-to-points, making and selling hunt horses, and summers showing and jumping, Anthony soon developed a reputation as a remarkably intuitive jockey and an individual whose wisdom and knowledge would be sought throughout his life. Ending each season at HOYS showed Anthony’s talents on the national stage.

By 1972 Anthony – who had taken on the family farm and was running a busy hunter livery yard, buying, producing, and selling horses for the Fernie and other Leicestershire packs – was quickly becoming a highly regarded and sought-after judge. He judged across the country and in Ireland, at all the Royal Shows, Dublin and HOYS. Fittingly the last show he judged was at the Royal Bath & West in May 2018.

By the 1980s he and Jane (who became his wife) had built the biggest livery hunt yard in the area.

When Anthony retired from the hunt livery business in 2011 some clients had amassed more than 50 years with the yard at Brigstock and all had benefited from his unique approach to the client-liveryman relationship. This was based around ensuring his clients had the most enjoyable day, piloting novice riders, the young and not so young, resolving problems and reuniting jockeys with their horses after unexpected partings of the ways.

Alongside the horses Anthony oversaw the agricultural farm and his beef suckler herd of fine Simmental cattle.

Since his passing Anthony’s family, sons James and Charles (with his first wife, Judith) and his wife Jane have received many kind words and reflections. Overwhelmingly, Anthony is remembered as a true gentleman, a fabulous horseman with an innate eye for a horse, an individual with a wealth of knowledge and someone who took immense pleasure in passing on his wisdom to the next generation of riders and farmers.

Anthony is to be remembered at his funeral at St Andrew’s Church, Brigstock, Northamptonshire at noon on 5 February.

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