‘His work here is done’: farewell to leading breeder and showing stalwart
Obituary by Ruth Flack
Anthony George James Wareham, the leading breeder and stalwart of the showing community passed away peacefully at home in Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset, on 20 April, aged 81.
Tony was born into a farming family, the only child of Jumbo and Gladys Wareham. He grew up in Lytchett Matravers near Poole in Dorset. His grandfather was a manager on the Belvin Estate and Jumbo farmed and had a livestock haulage business as well as showing Shire horses successfully.
Tony rode for fun and hunted with the South Dorset but his love of showing was ignited by helping his father with the Shires. As a young boy he had a few New Forest ponies to buy, back and sell. When he was 18 the family moved to Sunnyside Farm near Whitchurch, where Tony stood his first stallion, the Irish Draught Rathdowney Fern.
Tony met Ann and after several years, the success of their breeding enterprise meant they outgrew Sunnyside and moved to the larger Etheridge Farm. Shortly after moving he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to stop driving in his haulage business for several months. This prompted the couple to concentrate full-time on the horses.
Ann said although Tony loved driving, he was glad to miss the early starts. He also loved doing the horses and felt very lucky to be able to work at something he was passionate about.
Ann had bought Trenawin Lullaby, daughter of Sue Wason’s quality Holstein mare Lydia. Their shared passion for breeding meant Ann and Tony bought another daughter, Trenawin Leadette, and her son Trenawin Lydian, who stood at Etheridge Stud until he passed away recently.
Trenawin Leadette qualified three times for the Cuddy and won the horse section in 2006. She foaled Top Totty, by Deltic, who was second in the Cuddy in 2008.
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Leadette’s daughter Jessica XXII, by Roviris, qualified for the Cuddy, and had her first foal by Leander called It’s A Family Affair. He was reserve in three Cuddy qualifiers. Her second foal, The Power Of Love, also by Leander, qualified twice and was third in both finals.
In 2019, on mention of retirement, Tony was adamant that if he gave up, he wouldn’t know what to do.
“I see mates that I went to school with who do nothing more than go to the paper shop every day. They ask me when I will retire but I don’t want to be like that. As long as I can still drive the lorry I will keep going,” he’d said.
And he did, he drove the tractor all last winter, despite his failing health. Tony had a hernia operation in 2019 and a few weeks later was seen physically lifting a foal down the ramp at Three Counties Show – he was made of tough stuff.
Friend Steve Pitt recalled Tony buying Roger Stack’s old Bedford TK, 30 years ago. The gearbox needed changing, and it failed on the way to the Three Counties. Tony sourced a replacement, changed the gearbox on the showground and drove home without a hitch.
Tony’s friends all speak of the banter between them, most of it not printable. Long-standing family friend Clare Gundry, who rode for Ann and Tony, said: “The banter was very ‘special’ but we knew our boundaries.”
Another of Ann and Tony’s helpers at shows and at home was Lauren Milnes, who wrote: “I will never run one up in a championship without remembering him whispering to me, ‘Did you see that? I ran like a gazelle.’ This was his favourite line to me with a glint in his eye and grin on his face while I was wrangling a foal behind him.”
Tony’s work here is done. His next appointment is his reunion with many family members, and friends he has not seen in a while. No doubt he will be greeted by Roger Stack, John Rawding, Vin Toulson and Robert Oliver with “We have been waiting for you Tony…it’s your round!”
He is survived by Ann (Bassett) and his son Jason Wareham.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.