Farewell to much-loved influential horsewoman Leonie Marshall

THE horse world has lost a “great wealth of knowledge in dressage and horse mastership” as Leonie Marshall has died aged 86, 10 months after the death of her husband Barry Marshall.

Mrs Marshall had spent her life with horses, and had been driving her pony Amber on the day she was taken to hospital.

Born Leonie Harris in Kent, Mrs Marshall rode from childhood, competing at shows run by her parents Leopold and Kathleen. By the time she was 16, she had represented the West Kent Sevenoaks branch of the Pony Club on Carnival II, and been the first girl to ride at the national Pony Club trials. She represented her branch at every championship for which she was eligible until she was 21, and became a junior dressage judge aged 23.

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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.

Farewell to influential and much-loved horsewoman Leonie Marshall

In 1958, she married Peter George Felgate, with whom she had her daughter Sara, and they ran a riding establishment in Kent. They later set up the Bradbourne Riding and Training Centre, where they ran a riding school, dressage shows and a centre for teaching disabled riders.

Mrs Marshall coached Pony Club riders and competed at shows including the Royal International and internationally, as well as judging.

After her separation from Mr Felgate, Mrs Marshall moved to Wales with her second husband, where she continued to ride and train, with her second daughter Liza. She wrote a number of books on equitation, and also bred and showed dogs.

Aged 64, Leonie Marshall started carriage-driving, which she continued on her return to Kent, competing with much success, taking part in the indoor driving finals at Keysoe every year from 2003 to 2015.

She continued coaching, and supporting her daughter Sara and granddaughter Phillipa, who have both represented Britain in carriage-driving.

“Leonie’s was a rich and colourful life. She was an extremely talented horsewoman, a prolific writer, an international dressage rider and judge and most importantly a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,” said Patricia Jones for the British Carriagedriving Society.

“Her family is still coming to terms with their loss and without doubt her influence will be sadly missed and her absence in the carriage-driving world will not go unnoticed.”

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