The Immediate legacy of Pat Smythe: The pony-mad teenager in 1950s and 1960s Britain.

Abstract

The chapter focuses on the life of Britain's Pat Smythe (22 November 1928-27 February 1996) particularly her autobiographical writing. It argues that her dominance as a national championship winner, and international competitiveness after her 1949 Belgian Grand Prix win, helped to create a new vogue for horse riding among British youth, especially girls. The 1950s and 1960s were important times for the swift change in the image of horse riding.