Our Lives So Far (Part Two)

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Moving on a few years, we now had a yard full of driving horses of various sizes and descriptions. A large harness room full of sets of harnesses and more than a couple of beautiful carriages for all occasions in the barn. We had caught the bug of all things carriage driving.

My partner Dean now had bookshelves brimming with old coaching books and memorabilia of a bygone era; he had totally immersed himself in the history of driving and carriage restoration.

To say we were hooked is an understatement.

Eleanor now had a very smart little driving pony called Stuart Little, and Dean and I were putting horses together as pairs and teams. We had been lucky enough to be gifted a beautiful pair of hackney horses and a wedding carriage by a friend who could no longer keep them due to her health. She had asked us to help her with the last few wedding commitments she had booked in her diary.

For us, this was a little bit of baptism of fire, as up to this point, driving had just been a hobby for all of us. With some trepidation, I set out to get us the right insurance, and we went for it. The wedding was a complete success, mainly down to our amazing horses who had done it all before and took everything in their stride.



In those very early days, it really was the horses teaching us. They knew exactly where to stand and what to do, they even posed for the camera. Word got around, and before we knew it, we had a steady stream of bookings for weddings and proms during the summer months.

Without even trying, our hobby had become a business.

One of our first many proud moments was when I received a call from some very official Olympic committee people whose names have slipped my mind. They asked us if we could provide our horses and carriage to carry two Olympic gold medallists during a carnival for them around their local town. The local Mayor also planned to join them on the day.

We dressed the carriage with the Union Jack and proudly carried our special passengers around packed, people-lined streets, with music and all the usual trappings of a carnival atmosphere. Our horses were foot-perfect, and my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest. I was so proud of our beautiful horses and our whole team. We did it, and we did it well.

Until now, none of us had formal carriage driving training, so I started investigating that. We are all very proud to say we now hold the highest commercial carriage driver qualifications you can get. The BDS level 4.

Shortly after this, and now owning our first beautiful pair of white Lipizzaner’s, we officially started Regency Horse and Carriage Masters Limited. I know it's a bit of a mouthful, but we do what it says on the tin!

Our new carriage-driving friends, some of whom already had horse-drawn businesses, were always on hand to help and guide us through. And in times of need we were there to help them with overflow work.

On one of these occasions, we had been asked if we could cover a horse-drawn funeral for them. Dean and I looked at each other with the same trepidation as when we had done our first wedding. This was new territory for us; we didn’t have the correct carriage and didn’t have the first clue about the protocol for the day. 



Luckily, we had been invited to help another company do a couple of Horse Drawn Funerals as grooms, which gave us some much-needed insight into the goings-on before we had to do one ourselves. So, with borrowed equipment and a carriage, we provided our funeral service for the very first time.

I can only speak for myself when I say I was terrified!!


The weight of responsibility weighed heavily on me; this was someone's loved one we were taking on their final journey on this earth.

The family, and the funeral director trusted us to carry this person safely, and with all the dignity befitting such an occasion; even our horses felt the weight of such a responsibility; they were foot-perfect, not moving a muscle as the coffin was placed into our carriage.

The procession started at the funeral home with all the grandeur one would expect from a traditional funeral. The family had all gathered behind the hearse to take the short walk to the church. The funeral director donned his hat and cane and walked slowly to the carriage, where the coffin and flowers were already in place. 

The tension was palpable; I had what felt like the weight of the world on my shoulders; I sat up high on the box seat, watching the funeral director's every move, waiting for my instruction. He stood solemnly by the side of our hearse and took a long, low bow. The hair stood up on my arms, and my mouth felt dry. He then stepped in front of the carriage and horses, turning briefly. He looked me directly in my eyes and nodded his head. No words needed it was time!

Giving a quiet command, my beautiful pair of horses stepped out behind him in a slow, steady march. The family silently followed on behind us making no sound at all. It almost felt like a shroud had been draped over the whole event, and all background noises just fell away, just the rhythmic beat of the horse's hooves.

I will never forget how I felt at that very first funeral, how honoured and privileged that I had been chosen to be there for the family and their loved ones. To witness the solemn grief of a family was so raw and humbling. But to see in that grief the beauty of a family supporting each other and giving their loved one such a beautiful, elegant final journey.

It took a few years, but the Regency name began establishing itself as a reputable business within the horse-drawn service industry. Many years later, and with a now-established horse-drawn business, I am still immensely proud of our daily work.

Even after 100’s of funerals, I still feel that same weight of responsibility every single time.

Thanks for reading. Join us next week for Part Three of Our Lives So Far