‘Judging was her passion’: farewell to respected member of showjumping community
Obituary
Susan Mary Hutton, the well-liked and respected showjumping judge and supporter died peacefully on 7 October, aged 83.
Susan was a Yorkshire lass; born in Hull, she got into horses early, then breeding, and judging.
She met Ian Hutton when they were both at the University of Glasgow and they moved to the Midlands, then to Hampshire where their three children grew up. The family was involved with nearby Stocklands Equestrian Centre, through which Susan got into judging; she worked as a doctor’s secretary but judging was her passion.
She was a regular at the big events such as Windsor, Olympia, Hickstead and Horse of the Year Show, running the declarations office with her friend Sylvia Barnes, and judging at many smaller venues. She loved the camaraderie, and meeting new people, including Princess Diana, who once hid in the declarations caravan from the paparazzi, and Prince Charles.
She also continued breeding; her first horse was Sheila, in the 1960s, and her last horse Annie was Sheila’s great-great-great-granddaughter.
Susan leaves her three children, Jane, Charles and Peter, and grandchildren Tom and Ben.
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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.