Lyndon Bolton

The son of an Ealing civil servant, Lyndon Bolton attended Bedford School before enjoying a long and successful Army career, after which he entered the world of equestrianism. Bolton obtained a commission into the Royal Engineers at the age of 20, and during World War II served in France, North Africa, Greece, and was involved in the advance into Germany. He was mentioned in dispatches, and awarded he DSO with Bar. In 1945 Bolton was appointed Secretary of the Northumberland Territorial Army and Air Force Association.

After the War, he established himself as a fine eventer, and also had an eye for bringing on young horses. He made the 1948 British three-day-event team at the last minute, after Alec Scott broke a bone in his right arm four days before the Opening Ceremony. Bolton was also in contention to make the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, but was not selected. Bolton became an equestrian judge, and in 1964 trained the Irish Olympic three-day-event team. He had two books published: “Thoughts on Riding” (1955), and “Training the Horse” (1964).

In 1990, the then 91-year-old Brigadier Bolton was fined £100 for driving without due care and attention, but won his right in court to carry on driving, when he convinced magistrates he was still fit to drive. In the early days of the Badminton Horse Trials, when giving advice to Isobel Reid on how to prepare for the cross country section, Bolton said simply: “A bottle of Champagne.”