Lady Godiva Rides Again
Watch the whole event as it happened on YouTube now.
Caroline Anns-Baldock and Her Campaign to Establish a Museum Of The Horse in the UK
At around 11 am on Saturday, 26th September 2009, Caroline Anns-Baldock rode, in the guise of Lady Godiva, her bright chestnut racehorse, Melmott, down Whitehall to No 10 Downing Street. Caroline’s dramatic act is to publicise the need for an official Museum of the Horse for the UK.
Caroline will be accompanied by Mrs Christopher Boyd and Lucinda McAlpine and her committee, including Colin Henderson, Ex Head Coachman of the Royal Mews.
Caroline is a unique phenomenon in the horse world. She was one of England’s first three professional female flat jockeys. She has worked in the horse world all her life. She was the antiquarian Equestrian specialist at J A Allens; The Horseman’s Bookshop and was literary assistant to Monty Roberts.
Her quest is to set up a Museum of the Horse here in the UK. Caroline says, “We are the only European country without one a museum to honour the contribution of horses to our society and heritage. Yet, we are known throughout the world as the home of horse-loving people!”
Caroline’s determination to create a museum of the horse has a practical application – she has for many years been collecting fascinating equestrian artifacts from all over the world and she intends to display them in the museum for all to learn from and enjoy.
She has some unique artifacts from the racing industry and has already successfully organised a display of them at Bourne Hall in Ewell, Surrey. She has established a trust whose purpose is to fund raise and establish the museum to celebrate the heritage of the horse in the UK.
Her website for the museum is a fascinating mixture of fact, poetry, storytelling, research and travel writing. Caroline represented the UK at a conference in Turkmenistan on the little-known horse breed the Akhal-Tekke.
The ride down Whitehall is the beginning of a journey to make The Museum of the Horse a reality and Caroline and trust representatives will be meeting Government ministers and equestrian parties over the coming months to set the wheels in motion.
Minister of the Horse, Jim Fitzpatrick
Watch an interview with the Minster of State for DEFRA, Minister of the Horse, Jim Fitzpatrick and Caroline Anns-Baldock referencing the potential for a Museum of the Horse for the UK. Includes extra footage of the ride up Whitehall with Caroline dressed as Lady Godiva.
Interview with Nick Wallis BBC Surrey
Listen to Caroline talking to Nick Wallis on BBC Surrey about the formation of the Museum and her trip to Whitehall as Lady Godiva. Copyright © BBC. Interview 26th February 2010.