Joan Gold, the doyenne of British dressage, the first British rider to win the Aachen grand prix, has died aged 107.
Joan won four other classes at Aachen that year, 1958, having defied her parents’ opposition to horses. She took every opportunity to train under continental systems and in her later years to inspire and help riders and judges, such as Stephen Clarke, Carl Hester, Jennie Loriston-Clarke, Andrew Gardner and David Hunt.
Her impact over the 107 years of her life is impressive.
Her first opportunity to work under the German system was at a riding school near her finishing school in Munich. After two years, she returned hopeful of a horse of her own, but her parents would only assist with side-saddle, more ladylike riding.
Joan went to her cousins in Sweden where she found a horse and trainer. After two years, the trainer said she was ready to compete in Germany. She had some success so headed to the most important event of the year, Aachen 1938, and aged 21, won two classes.
But war was imminent and in 1939, her father summoned her home. Joan’s war years were spent near Abergavenny, where her focus turned to family, having married Paddy Gold and given birth to John, Louise and Nick.
Post-war, Joan found her horse of a lifetime, Gay Gordon. He had had a career with Norman Crow as an in-hand showing winner and when Joan saw him in the hunting field, she fell in love.
The opportunity came for more continental training under Gerhard von Badewitz as her husband was posted to Berlin. That meant travelling through the Iron Curtain and across East Germany, but after 18 months Joan had to return to Britain for surgery.
The pair returned to Germany for those glorious victories at Aachen 1958. There were further successes at national and international shows, but when Joan retired from competing, her work had its longest-lasting effects.
Joan had been given a great foundation in what was needed to win, and one way she passed on this knowledge was identifying talented riders who could benefit from her correctly trained horses.
The most notable was David Hunt, to whom she gave the ride on the last horse she competed in international grand prix, Roman Holiday. He said: “Over five decades later, I still have the drive, enthusiasm and passion Joan instilled in me and for which I’m eternally grateful.”
Joan became a judge, officiating at top level including a European Championship. She was a long-term member of the British Horse Society dressage committee and chef d’equipe to the British team.
Joan was free with her knowledge, strength, assets and contacts, which helped her to be remembered not just for her successes, but for bringing British dressage closer to systems that won international dressage. Joan leaves her daughter Louise and son Nick.
