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Obituary
Olwen Briant, the passionate producer of mountain and moorland (M&M) ponies – including the late Queen’s Carltonlima Emma – and founder of Picton Stud, died on 4 May aged 81, following a long illness.
Born in Hartlepool in 1944, Olwen developed a love of horses as a child from riding in Langley Park, Buckinghamshire.
She showed and bred some show ponies, but always had a Dartmoor or a Welsh section B as a “fun pony”. From here her passion for M&Ms grew; she loved their hardiness and versatility.
Olwen bought Lunesdale Lucky Lady, and in 1992 she became the first Fell Olympia ridden M&M champion. Another notable pony was Highland stallion Snowydene, who took the same title in 2000. Both ponies featured in Olwen’s small breeding operation, Picton Stud, named after her family connections to Picton Castle in Wales.
In 1999, following success at Royal Windsor, Olwen was approached about producing ponies for the late Queen. This became a long-standing and successful relationship, also with Olwen’s daughter Lizzie, and included ponies such as Carltonlima Emma, who qualified for the Cuddy final at Horse of the Year Show in 2006. Olwen loved watching the ponies in the ring and had a great eye for youngsters.
Olwen was a great supporter of the National Pony Society (NPS) and a past president. In 1990, she helped create the NPS novice M&M final, believing there was a need for a prestigious championship for M&Ms, like there was for show ponies. She continued to sponsor this final, known fondly across the industry as “the Picton” and now in its 35th year, and Lizzie will continue to do so.
Olwen’s other passion was dogs, having brought dogs back from China, where she campaigned against the meat trade. She enjoyed holidays to Barbados and took much pleasure in watching her grandson Freddie in the show ring.
Lizzie described her mother as “feisty but a lot of fun and very kind”.
“She was a handful, but we had a lot of fun,” she said.
Lizzie and Freddie will carry on the Picton Stud and will be standing one of the King’s Fell’s stallions, bred by the late Queen.
Olwen is survived by Lizzie, son-in-law Tim and Freddie. Her funeral takes place at 12pm on 9 June at North Wiltshire Crematorium, followed by a celebration of her life at Bassett Down Complex.
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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.