The 11th Duke of Beaufort

HORSE & HOUND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

LEADING figures from the worlds of eventing and hunting paid tribute to the late David Somerset, the 11th Duke of Beaufort, who died in August this year, and was honoured with the Horse & Hound Lifetime Achievement Award, collected by his widow Miranda, Duchess of Beaufort.

“It is a great honour for Horse & Hound to give this award to someone who undoubtedly gave a lifetime of service to equestrianism,” said H&H’s magazine editor Pippa Roome.

“The Duke was invited to make Badminton his home as a young man by his cousin, the 10th Duke, known as “Master”, who founded Badminton Horse Trials in 1949. A courageous horseman, the 11th Duke finished second at Badminton riding Countryman III in 1959, finding time to compete and train around his career in the art world.

“Over the course of seven decades at Badminton, he played a huge part in turning the horse trials into the tremendously successful event it is today, including appointing long-standing directors Frank Weldon and Hugh Thomas — the present director.”

H&H’s hunting editor Catherine Austen added: “He was a fine horseman and had an excellent eye for a horse, a hound or a piece of art. He was enormously popular in the hunting country, and the hunt thrived under his light, considered touch for many years.”

In a video tribute to him, commentator Mike Tucker said: “He was just such a gentleman and made you feel so welcome. He could talk to anyone, and that was one of his wonderful attributes.”

‘The hunt thrived under his light, considered touch for many years’ H&H’S HUNTING EDITOR CATHERINE AUSTEN