Patricia Rosemary Smythe (November 22, 1928 - February 27, 1996), best known as Pat Smythe , is one of Britain's leading female showjumpers. She married after the Summer Olympics in 1960 became childhood friend Sam Koechlin and became Patricia Koechlin-Smythe . This means moving to Switzerland (because he is Swiss) and that's where many of his books, including some horse books for children, are written. Sam died in 1986 and Pat moved back to the Cotswolds.
Pat's death came from heart disease when he was 67 years old. He is also the subject of warning plates.
Video Pat Smythe
Initial years
Pat Smythe was the last of three children, the other two being Dicky and Ronald Smythe. Unfortunately, Dicky died of pneumonia at age 4. His parents were Eric Hamilton Smythe and Frances Monica Curtoys, who were born in the early 1900s. He lives in London, on the outskirts of Richmond Park. Then he became a boarding member at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth.
Pat almost died when he was almost 5 years from diphtheria. Even though he's fully recovered, it means he has to learn to walk again. Difficulties and suffering are a feature especially throughout his professional and personal life. Her father died when she was in her late teens, and her mother when she was 23 years old.
Maps Pat Smythe
Year of war
World War II brought an awkward period of separation for the family. As well as evacuation activities and wartime allotment, in early 1940 his father was sent to Biskra in Algeria to seek a respite from his own inflammation. Her mother remains in London working for the Red Cross.
During his father's return from North Africa through France, his mother set out to find him. He finally found it in the city of Aix-les-Bains. Together they managed to get out of France, under enemy fire, on the last ship leaving Bordeaux shortly before Germany occupied the city and most other French territory.
Pat himself was sent to the Cotswolds (Ferne) for his safety, along with his horse, Pixie. Her brother had been evacuated to Newquay in Devon, where her school was moved.
At that moment, as he entered the shackles with several horses, Pat met the King on the way. Do not know who he is, he said to the driver of the car he was traveling at Silence! Can not you see me trying to get these horses out of the way!
In early 1941, Pat and his parents moved into a house in the Cotswolds. Her parents still have to work hard, and things are never easy. The house should function as a guesthouse, as well as a family home.
In 1949, after the death of his father, Pat and his mother moved again, to Miserden in the Cotswolds.
Bangs and horses
Smythe's first trip is on a small horse known as Bubbles. Although he was his brother's horse, he learned to ride it but eventually finally succeeded. Afterwards, his parents bought him a Dartmoor/Arab-cross horse named Pixie. Pixie then mated and gave birth to a young horse named Vicky.
Pat's mother used to send polo horses by a family friend, Johnny Traill, to rest and be educated to play polo. Although they were not hers, as he was older, Pat also helped the school and destroyed them.
It was not until the relocation of Pat to the Cotswolds that the first taste of showpumping came with Finalities. After varying success at gymkhanas and many of his injuries, Pat was able to compete on his first International Show. Eventually he was asked to join the British team with Colonel Harry Llewellyn, Ruby Holland-Martin, Toby Robeson and Brian Butler in 1947. But partnership with Finalities will not last long. He has been loaned out to the family by Johnny Traill and, due to financial pressure, must be sold.
The next Pat's horse, the Carmena gray rabbit, came after parting with Finalities. Although Carmena is a talented and successful horse, Pat admits that he can never feel the same affinity with Finality.
Shortly after Carmena came another horse, Leona. Leona serves Pat until her mother's death means finances are becoming very tight. Being the most valuable horse (at the time), Leona had to be sold.
In 1949, Pat obtained his cheapest horse, Prince Hal. Purchased as a cheap racehorse, he was originally called Fourtowns. He was renamed Prince Hal after Laurence Olivier's role.
Tosca is the next purchase from Pat. He was born in 1945. It was his most successful partnership after Finality, winning many of the medals and grand prizes of the day. Tosca is one of the most often he competes overseas. After Tosca retired from the show in the mid-1950s, he raised several foals, including Lucia (by Gay Scot, born 1957), Favourita (by Blue Duster, born 1958), Flamenca (by Tambourin, born 1959), Laurella Schapiro, born 1960), Prince Igor (by Shapiro born 1961), Chocolate Soldier (the sixth, either by Bitter Sweet or Cortachy, born 1962), Melba (by Pincola, born 1963), Sir John (by Shapiro, born 1964) and the last foal (unknown name, by Three Card Trick). That probably happened after 1965, he produced some more foals.
Lucia himself produced several foals of his own that included Titania (by Schapiro, born 1962), Caruso (by Pinicola, born 1963) and Queen of Hearts (by Three Card Trick, born 1965)
Then horses showing horses included Flanagan (where he won the Bronze medal in the Jumping Team event at the 1956 Olympics in Stockholm), Brigadoon, Scorchin, Mr. Pollard, Ocean Foam and Telebrae.
Books
Biography
- My Friend's Flip
- Jump For Joy
- Jump around the World
- Leaping Life's Fences
- One Jump In Front
- Tosca and Lucia
- Florian's Farmyard
Non fiction books
- A Pony For Pleasure (co-author)
- Raised to Jump
- Horse And Place
- Pat Smythe Horse Book
- Pony Problems
- Respect the Horse (co-authors)
- Show Jump
- Horse Field Book
- Youth in Saddle (co-author)
(It should be noted that although the above books are primarily intended as manual instructions, they are biographies to some extent, as they contain anecdotes about their horses.)
Fiction book
Three Jays Series
- Jacqueline Rides for a Fall (Cassel, 1957)
- Three Jays Against the Hour (Cassel, 1958)
- Three Jays on Holiday (Cassel, 1958)
- Three Jays Go To Town (Cassel, 1959)
- Three Jays Over The Border (Cassel, 1960)
- Three Jays Go To Rome (Cassel, 1960)
- Three Jays to Lend a Hand (Cassel, 1961)
(Note: The 'Three Jays' book series presents itself in the story.The Jays family is entirely fictitious.)
Adventure Series
- Swiss Adventure (Cassell, 1970)
- Spanish Adventure (Cassell, 1971)
- Cotswold Adventure (Cassell, 1973)
External links
- A useful article about collecting old horse books, featuring his fictional works
- Websites with scanned covers of his books, including information about his literary work and his life
- Websites with scanned covers of their fictional works
- Articles about her career and background about family
- Photos he received a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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