Brenda Williams

Brenda Williams was the daughter of the late Mr. B. Howard Mander of Trysull Manor, Staffordshire, a partner in the Wolverhampton Company of varnish, paint, and ink manufacturers founded in 1773. When he died in 1912 her father left the equivalent of more than £22 million in present-day money.

Brenda married captain Sir Alfred Edward Howard Hickman in 1919 and with the marriage came the title Lady Hickman, as her husband was the 2nd Baronet Hickman of Wightwick. The couple divorced in 1940 and she married Vivian Williams in 1946 and that coincided with the improvement in her fortune as a dressage rider and Williams went on to win the British Dressage title in 1955, 1959, 1961, and 1963. In that time she also appeared at two Olympics, finishing equal 25th with Pilgrim in 1956, when Williams was over 60-years-of-age, and 11th on Little Model in 1960.

In addition to her own individual Olympic performances, Williams and her husband contributed horses for both the 1960 and 1964 British three-day event teams when they supplied Cottage Romance and Sea Breeze respectively, both ridden by Michael Bullen. He finished fourth in both the individual and team event in 1960.

Williams had been involved with the Pony Club for most of her life, and ran the Pony Club Championships. After her competitive riding career, she devoted her time to Riding for Disabled Children.