R. S. Summerhays

Reginald Sherriff Summerhays, often known as R. S. Summerhays, was a British expert and author in equine matters.

Biography

At the age of 32 in 1914, he was appointed by the British War Office as a Civilian Remount Purchasing Officer, with the duty of purchasing horses for World War I. Later he served as part of the Army Service Corps. In the early 1920s he rode in the three horse endurance tests of 60 miles (97 kilometres) a day for five consecutive days. He then became Managing Director of one of the largest hunting, hacking and pony establishments in the country. Later he became editor of the journal Riding, retiring after thirteen years. It was then he published the first of his equine titles.^[1]

Other Interests

For over 40 years Summerhays was a horse show judge as well as serving on the boards of many horse breeding societies. He was also president of the Arab Horse Society. His interests included polo. He was the originator of the Horseman's Sunday and also of the Horse and Pony Breeding and Benefit Fund.^[2]

Bibliography

• Here's Horse Sense
• From Saddle to Fireside
• Elements of Riding^[3]
• Elements of Hunting
• Riding For All
• Observer's Book of Horses and Ponies
• The Problem Horse
• It's A Good Life With Horses
• Summerhays' Encyclopedia for Horsemen^[4]
• Our Horses Horses and Ponies
• Riding on a Small Income
• The Story of the International
• The Young Rider's Guide to the Horse World
• A Lifetime with Horses
• Arabian Horse in Great Britain (1967), London, Country Life Ltd.^[5]
• The Arabian Horse (1974) A.S. Barnes, ISBN 0-498-07474-9, ISBN 978-0-498-07474-5
• In Praise of the Arabian Horse (1954) coauthor with Staveacre F. W. F. The Arab Horse Society & J A Allen ASIN: B000WI33ZY
• The Courthouse Arabian Stud (1966) H.V. Musgrave Clark; Rev edition

Footnotes

1. Taken from the dustwrapper of Elements of Riding, published by Country Life in 1962
2. Details from dustwrapper of a reprint of the 1937 Elements of Riding published by Country Life
3. Details of the list taken from the half title page of a 1937 Country Life copy of the book
4. R. S. Summerhays (1952). Summerhays' Encyclopedia for Horsemen (revised 1962 ed.). London, England: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.
5. "The Arabian Horse". University of Chicago Library. 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.