‘He was very good to ride for – he understood horses and sport’: fond farewell to owner of many elite event horses
Obituary
Paul Ridgeon, who has died aged 93, was well-known in eventing circles as the owner of top horses such as Armada and Cooley Rosalent.
He was born on 4 March 1932 with a condition known as talipes, which meant he required multiple surgeries to straighten his feet. Eventually his metatarsals were fused, which caused pain for his entire life. He wasn’t able to walk until he was 13 years old. Unable to be involved in other sports, he found he could sit on a horse, and thus began a lifetime love of horses.
He showjumped as an amateur, including at White City, and became involved in organising equestrian shows.
A true entrepreneur, in his early 20s he worked in the Dutch bulb fields to gain experience before joining the family seed firm, and in floristry as the family had florist shops. He soon felt the need to move on, however, and spent time in London, becoming involved in the property industry. In 1967 there was a collapse in the market; Paul suffered a financial loss and a broken marriage.
He returned home to Cambridge, where he was supported by his family. In 1969 he became involved in the first instant print business in Cambridge and eventually progressed to buying a large, out-of-date printing and publishing business in Foxton, the Burlington Press, in 1976. He updated the works from letterpress to digital and it became very successful.
Times changed and he had a management buyout, which later failed. Paul retained the property and refurbished it into separate offices and industrial units.
Alongside this he owned Maxicrop, a company that produced organic seaweed fertiliser. In the early 1980s, production was threatened due to strikes. This caused no fuel to be delivered. Not to be beaten, Paul hired a tanker and drove it to Corby and crossed the picket line at midnight, keeping the factory running.
Paul Ridgeon also invented a liquid sprayer for lawns. He researched and registered a patented pump and manufactured it, and then sold directly to the public. He had a contract with Wimbledon, and displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show for years before selling the company.
At the age of 90, Paul sold the Burlington Park development and threw himself back into the property market, building and refurbishing many properties.
Paul Ridgeon: event horse owner
His first involvement in eventing came through owning horses with John and Jane Thelwall, and then William Fox-Pitt and his first wife, Wiggy. It was Wiggy who rode the first horse of Paul’s to compete at CCI5* – Willy B Free.
When the Fox-Pitts divorced, Paul and his second wife, Diana, owned horses with Wiggy and her second husband, Andrew Nicholson, most notably buying Armada from Andrew as a five-year-old (choosing between Armada and Nereo), and on the same day also buying Silbury Hill, on whom Andrew won Punchestown CCI4*-L.
The Spanish-bred Armada finished third in the CCI4*-Ls at Punchestown and Blenheim in 2007 as an eight-year-old, then was fourth at Bramham and eighth at Burghley in 2008. In 2009 he completed Badminton, Burghley and Pau CCI5*s.
After two more years at CCI5* with Andrew, the New Zealander had a surfeit of horses at five-star level for the number of big events they could run at, and suggested that Oliver Townend took over the ride on Armada. The pair were fourth at Burghley in 2012 and second at Badminton in 2014, and Armada completed an impressive 16 CCI5*s in his career.
Paul and Diana bought Swallow Springs from Andrew when the horse was six, and he brought them many top results, including third place at Burghley with Andrew in 2018, CCI4*-S victory at Barbury Castle in 2019 and 2021, and two CCI4*-S wins and third place at Badminton in 2022 with Oliver on board.
Perhaps Paul’s most successful horse, however, was his last – Cooley Rosalent, who has won at every level with Oliver Townend, including Kentucky CCI5* in 2024.
“He only ever bought young horses, as he got the greatest pleasure from watching them go through the grades, having chosen them at the start,” said Wiggy Nicholson.
Andrew added: “He was a very good owner to ride for – he understood horses and sport. He knew that some days don’t go to plan, and also knew how to celebrate the ones that did! More than just owners, Paul and his wife Diana have been loyal and supportive friends to Wiggy and I for many years.”
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A St Andrews’ graduate, Catherine joined Horse & Hound in 2002 and stayed for 11 years in a variety of roles until she went freelance in June 2013. She rejoined the team part-time in November 2016 as hunting editor. She pretty much lives on the hunting field or at the racecourse, but also loves eventing, as a journalist, press officer and competitor. She was H&H’s sole accredited journalist at the London Olympic Games and has reported from major race meetings and eventing, showjumping and dressage championships and shows round the world, and has hunted all over Britain and Ireland.