Daisy Sadler, the heavy horse enthusiast known for her travels with her much-loved Belgian Brabants and gypsy wagon died on 3 October, aged 80, following a long illness.
Daisy, formerly known as Sue Halkyard, was born in Bowness-on-Windermere in 1944. She married Josh Sadler and the couple shared a passion for amateur classic car racing. They moved to Tadmarton near Banbury, Oxfordshire, in 1997.
When the recession hit in 1990 the couple sold their classic cars and Daisy bought her first horse, a Shire called Sydney, with a cart and harness. At a heavy horse club meeting Daisy met Ron Creasey, who gave her lessons and was the inspiration behind her travels.
Daisy ran Sydney’s Exploditions, providing a carriage service for special occasions. In 2013 she imported Belgian Brabants Olive and Arthur, and she continued her travels including holidays in the Cotswolds with the pair and taking on long journeys, including in 2015 when she travelled from her home to the Lake District.
In 2018 she completed a five-month 1,000-mile round trip to the Kelpies, in Falkirk, raising £27,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity. That year she was voted winner of the Horse & Hound Inspiration of the Year Award and said: “The horses were the real stars of the show – Olive and Arthur – and dog Tad, who had his own fan club in the end.”
Daisy pictured at the H&H Awards.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Nick Bailey, a close friend, said: “Whether it was driving her 1929 Austin 7, Chumley Carruthers – a wedding present from Josh in 1973 – or her magnificent gypsy wagon, Daisy was both a very popular and prominent member of the Oxfordshire community and will be deeply missed.
“We deeply mourn the loss of such an incredible, kind and loving lady who stoically continued fighting her illness until the very end.”
The aim of the trip from Banbury to Edinburgh and back is to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
