Justin Llewelyn, FEI Steward and Steward General for all equestrian disciplines in Great Britain, who has died at the age of 59. (Photo: Kit Houghton)
In Memoriam: Justin Llewelyn (GBR), 1952-2012
Justin Llewelyn, an FEI Steward and the familiar and distinguished voice of horse trials in Great Britain, passed away at the weekend after a year of ill health. His health deteriorated on Saturday night (8 December) and he died at his home in Lincolnshire. He was 59.
Born in London to Celtic parents – his father was Welsh and his mother Irish – Justin was an FEI Steward, and was also Steward General for all disciplines in Great Britain for many years. In his role as FEI Steward, he was in charge of the mixed zone – where athletes are interviewed by the media post-competition – at the last three Olympic Games in Athens, Hong Kong and London. He was already seriously ill when he was working in Greenwich, but was determined not to miss the chance of officiating at his home Games.
Justin's day job was as brand ambassador at the champagne house, Taittinger, and he was the British Consul General for the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne, the official fraternity of the champenoise. He was well known as a knowledgeable and authoritative commentator at all the major British horse trials, including Badminton, Burghley, Bramham, Blenheim, Gatcombe and Chatsworth, and was never happier than when he was in the commentary box with his regular colleagues Mike Tucker, Giles Rowsell and Richard Clapham.
Justin's father was the much-loved actor, Desmond Llewelyn, who played Q in the James Bond films for more than 30 years. Justin went to the same school – Radley College – as his famous father, and was a leading light in the school’s stage productions, but in later life he often said that commentating was the nearest he got to realising his theatrical ambitions.
“We have to stay calm and reasoned and not get over-excited, which can be quite a skill,” he said in a media interview in 2008. “But my father was an actor and commentating is the nearest I get to my own theatrical career. I think I’ve taken all the acting knack from my father and transferred it to the commentary box.”
He was a generous sponsor of equestrian sport through his contacts in the champagne industry. His last major appearance on the international competition scene was at Burghley last September.
“Justin was a larger than life character in every way,” FEI Eventing & Olympic Director Catrin Norinder said. “He was such a familiar face, and a familiar voice, on the Eventing circuit and was incredibly generous, both with his time and with sponsorship. The Eventing scene in Britain and internationally won’t be the same without him, and nor will the mixed zones at future Olympic Games. He will be much missed.”
Justin Llewelyn is survived by his wife Claire, and daughters Charlotte and Rosamund. Claire shares Justin’s love of Eventing, and gave a home to the retired top event horses Shear H20, Shear L'Eau and Ringwood Cockatoo and rode them in Dressage competitions.
His funeral will be held this week and a memorial service is planned for early 2013.
The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Justin Llewelyn’s family and his many friends in the equestrian world
Jane Pontifex (GBR), scorer at the first Badminton Horse Trials in 1949 and a well-known and well-respected equestrian journalist, who has died at the age of 84. (Photo: Kit Houghton)
In Memoriam: Jane Pontifex (GBR), 1928-2012
Jane Pontifex, scorer at the first Badminton Horse Trials in 1949 and a well-known and well-respected equestrian journalist, died at her home in Surrey (GBR). She was 84.
Jane was the first official scorer for British horse trials. She valued accuracy in everything she did, and one of her most important legacies was in helping to devise the scoring system for horse trials which is still in use today.
She played a major role in the development of the sport, and was heavily involved in the start-up of Burghley Horse Trials in 1961.
Jane worked for the British Horse Society for many years as an official scorer before joining the staff of top British equestrian magazine, Horse & Hound. When Michael Clayton, then editor of the magazine, wanted to upgrade coverage of Eventing, Jane was his natural choice.
“Nobody knew more about the mechanics of the sport than she did,” he said. “She had a passion for accuracy, which was what I wanted, and she became Horse & Hound’s first woman reporter and first woman sub-editor for Eventing. Jane was a very valuable member of our staff, and a good friend.”
As horse trials editor for Horse & Hound, Jane took over reporting on all the top events, including Badminton and Burghley, and the major international championships, continuing to write even after her retirement from the job in 1988.
Jane was also the founding secretary of the British Horse Trials Support Group, a job she continued to do for a quarter of a century with typical efficiency and enthusiasm, and was a long-standing secretary to the British Equestrian Writers’ Association. Her devotion to the sport and love for detail resulted in a comprehensive book, Riding for Gold, which chronicled the history of Britain's Eventing teams.
British journalist Kate Green remembers her former colleague and friend with great fondness. "Jane was not only great fun to work and travel with, but she was a fount of wisdom about the sport, and always willing to help and encourage up-and-coming journalists."
Jane Pontifex’s death comes three weeks after the passing of Jim Gilmore, press officer to the Badminton Horse Trials from 1969 to 2001.
The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Jane Pontifex’s family and her numerous friends on the international Eventing circuit.
