Joy's
Story continued:
I joined the WRNS at the end of the war serving
in the south of England at the naval base Chatham where they
were all exposed to the German buzz bombs flying over the English
Channel from France. By the time many bombs flew in they were
beginning to run out of fuel which had driven them with loud
and fiery strength, many hitting tree tops, church steeples
or just dying, then they all quickly took cover in ditches or
under doorways. Sometimes they would see dozens of them overhead
en route to London. This part of the war was known as The Blitz.
After the war I received three medals, one for joining the
service, one for being in for Armistice and one for serving
during The Blitz.
I have
written for many years in horse magazines and am now
finalizing my sequel to "Pride and Joy" and to my
autobiography, "Joy for Living" which became a best
seller. With friend, Jan White, we have just completed a
new book "The Horsemen" which relates a fascinating
account of the lives of twelve movers and shakers who,
with their skills, foresight and leadership became
giants in the ever-growing horse industry in British
Columbia.
Purchasing
my American Quarter Horse, Hyline Gentry in 1970,
I made him the first
AQHA Champion Gelding in Canada with ten categories and ten
years later developed his brother, Hyline Paladin, to the
same high level. Both of these horses were taken over to England.
They were the
Canadian
Equestrian Federation Dressage Freestyle Pas de Deux
champions in 1997 after Paladin was the 1993 C.E.F. Freestyle
Kur Champion.
In 1978 becoming Chairman of the British Quarter Horse Association,
I was elected their
AQHA
Director. After a serious accident in the fox hunting field
when kicked by the Master's horse, resulting in eighteen months
in a wheelchair and on crutches, in 1983 I returned to Langley
with my horses soon becoming president of the
BC
Quarter Horse Association. During this time I was
the Vice President
of the Langley Horse Federation from which I was elected
Chairman of Road Safety in 1995 working with the Municipality,
and Chairman for The Spirit of the Horse
Memorial Garden in
Campbell Valley Park the following year.
I was awarded Horse Person of the Year from
BC
Horse Council's 17,000 members in 1997 and received
the Fraser Valley Woman of Excellence Award in Sport category
in 1999.
Again
in this time I worked with three magnificent gray thoroughbreds
by Skywhite whose sire won the
Kentucky
Derby and brother Skywalker won $2,500,000. All for
sale at the time to kind, skilled rider homes. Great
potentials. Gentry's Spirit gelding, eight years, Won Thunderbird Hunter Championship.
Currently Spirit has never been beaten in large Open
Hunter classes, and is sadly for sale. Gentry's Comet gelding,
is eight years and Won Halter Championships
for three years, Clear round Jumper 3.6', Clean cross country
Pre Training Eventer, dressage Basic 1V. Could be Canadian
Intermediate level.
Gentry's Echo is now 5 years and is a rose gray filly
standing at 15.01 hh, out of Pez's
Pride. She has won two Stakes and several hunter
pleasure, great potential as junior rider horse, very
pretty.
My son,
Dr. RKA
Feltham is a leading Microbiologist and Leicester, England
County Council Cabinet Minister. He lives with his wife Louisa.
They have three grown children. Victoria, with her BA in Arts,
is living with her boyfriend Paul in Leicester. They hope
to work in London. Christopher has his BSc and MA in Biochemistry.
John is studying at the East England University in Norwich.
*After many rewarding years with all of her horses, Joy owes
much of her success to the dedicated care of Veterinarian,
Dr. John Twidale, Chiropractor, Dr. Steve Weller, young horse
breaker, Dean Kucey, and Biomedica's Recovery which increases
structural integrity.
