John Burbidge, the long-standing supporter of the equestrian community died on 12 April, aged 81.
John was born in Blackpool in 1944. He was raised in London and went to work in the print and direct mail industry. When his employer Michael Green of Carlton Communications was selling his business, John secured a small loan and in May 1979 he formed SR Direct Mail.
The business outgrew its premises and when the opportunity arose to buy a freehold on a run-down factory, this was renovated and became SR Communications Plc – with John at the helm. He grew the business, most notably through the then unconventional step of sponsorship in the equestrian world.
John’s passion for horses and equestrian sport was very important to him; he sponsored Lucinda Green and owned her Badminton winners Beagle Bay and Regal Realm. He also enjoyed success in racing as the owner of Bright Approach and others, trained by Grant Cann.
It was through his love for horses he met Bridget Jennings; she joined SR Communications and the couple later married. He enjoyed supporting her in eventing and was usually found in the warm-up arena or checking the scoreboard. They also had a shared passion for breeding; their first foal was named Jean’s Joy, after Bridget’s mother. The couple lived in Kent, then London and later moved to Somerset. They were happily married for 26 years.
John was a great supporter of charities, particularly children’s charity Dreams Come True. When he heard of a little girl with leukaemia who had always dreamed of having a horse, John liaised with the charity and she was presented with her own pony at Hickstead.
John’s family described him as a “generous man who took great pride in giving, yet never sought recognition” – and his family mattered the most to him.
“He was the life and soul of a party and would fill a room with laughter and joy,” they said.
John is survived by Bridget and his step-daughter Caroline, his sons from his first marriage Matthew, Robert and Jonathan, five grandchildren, a great-granddaughter and two step- grandsons Monty and Arthur, all of whom were very dear to him.
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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.
