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Horse Shows Birmingham 1940s/50s

M

millie152

New Member
Just after the last war I remember going to see horse shows around Birmingham, at venues such as Kings Heath Dog track, Alexander Stadium, etc. These always included a parade of working horses pulling carts around the track and would be judged on their trotting, livery etc. The carts were always immaculate.
These events were nearly always won by Scribbans's Bakery with their show horse Verity or Wathes Cattel & Gurden, the dairy. They seemed to take it in turns to win.
It was a requirement that the horse was actually a working horse and I know that Verity only very occasionally pulled a cart on a bread round in order to qualify.
 
The one at the Dog Track was Kings Heath Show which still goes on to this day, now in Earlswood. The one at the Alexander Stadium which was part of the City of Birmingham Show , now the only remnant of the show is the flower show in Kings Heath Park.
 
I have a lovely book entitled Birmingham's Working Horses by Bryan Holden. There is a photo of the Scibban's Bakery horses in the 1950's horse parade the horses are named Verity, Odelle, Muriel and Regent. There are some lovely photo's in this book.
 
I can remember just after the war going to the Horse shows, my Dad, Big Joe Arnold was a carter on Gods Wonderful Railway, mainly employed deliving fruit and veg from Moor Street station to Smithfields Market, I still have
his Safe Driving Awards from 1929 onwards. The stables were in Park Street under the arches, which I understand is
now a car park! I hope that all this knowledge is being recorded, because the people who remember these things are
all getting on a bit and may not be with us much longer, myself included, Bernard
 
How lovely Bernard your Dad working with horses on the railway. There is a section in the book about the railway workhorses I will have to study it now.
 
I don't remember the Horse Shows mentioned above, but I do remember going to see the Horse Parades around the area of Cannon Hill Park in the late 60s and early 70s quite a spectacle with all sorts of horse drawn vehicles taking part from little gigs to hearses. The participants were always well dressed to suit the vehicles they were driving.
 
As you say it brings back many memories, we always went to the Kings Heath show ,living at Yardley Wood, the CooP
always did well.I think the best me Dad ever did was third in one class, I remember how proud he was taking the
rosette to work on the following Monday. Funny how the rhubarb tasted better in those days Bernard
 
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