Would you like to pay a tribute to Julia & Bob?
Send us your stories and memories.
And photographs, if you have any.
Horseytalk.net Special Interview
with Julia and Bob Streeter  -  Polegate Saddlery   01323 483382
 

Polegate Saddlery is 25 years young this year.

Julia and Bob Streeter along with Julia's father took the shop over in 1983.

“Bob went in to the shop, previously called FSL saddlery, to buy some bandages and we ended up by buying the shop,” says Julia.

“We had known the previous owner for years. She wanted to retire. We were looking for a new challenge, discussed it amongst the three of us and decided to buy it.”

Located in the South East corner of East Sussex, today Polegate Saddlery offers an extensive range of products to hundreds of riders and their horses.

And no wonder. Both Julia and Bob have been involved with horses all their lives. Their accrued knowledge has helped many a rider with a problem. But, as they both say, you never stop learning.

Julia inherited her love of horses from her late father, who sold his horse at the age of 21 to buy her mother's engagement ring. Julia started riding at eight at the old riding school in Jevington.

“I loved it,” she says.

At 14 her family moved to Alfriston where she rode with Fred Holford at his riding school in the village.

At 15 she got her first horse.

“He was definitely a Heinz 57 Irish job,” she says. “He was 15.3. Called Dougal.”

It wasn't long before they were regulars at all the local shows although Julia says today she enjoyed competing but also loved rushing home from school to ride with her father across the beautiful South Downs.
 

Bob was the opposite. Never a happy hacker!

He learnt to ride almost as soon as he could walk. This was at his father's employer's yard in Kent. His employer, Jack, farmed but also ran a dealers yard. He called Bob “Chabaroobe” and would throw him up on the ponies. Jack gave him pocket money in pennies which he would put between Bob's knees and the pony. If Bob dropped a penny Jack would pick it up and put it back in his pocket. Needless to say Bob learnt to grip and stay on really quickly!

At just seven years old Bob was a proffessional. He rode in Donkey Derbys all over the country for Basil Brunger, a butcher from Tenterden who paid Bob, at the time, a princely sum of £1- 10 shillings per meeting with the bonus of a joint of meat for his mum if he rode a winner.
Bob Streeter
 

Bob says, in the early 1950's donkey racing was big money. The highlight for him was coming second in the Donkey Grand National held at Wivelsfield Green which had a prize of £100 to the winner. This was donated by the late comedian Jimmy Edwards, who owned the land the race was held on.

From donkeys Bob went to ponies to horses and show jumping and hunting in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

He loved horse racing and started as a stable lad then head lad. He held a professional licence for five years, travelling all over the country.
 
Bob Streeter in Tokyo as Richard III

In 1985 he even became Richard III, the King who was reputed to have murdered his two nephews in the Tower of London. Again he toured the country. This time in a special pageant commemorating the 500th anniversay of the defeat of Richard III at the battle of Bosworth field.

When the show was at the NEC in Birmingham, dressed in his full chainmail armour, he remembers Harvey Smith coming up to him and grabbing his axe, which was authentic not rubber! Harvey was surprised at the weight of it and said “You could really kill somebody with that.”
 

After the NEC it was off to Tokyo as Richard.

Bob has also replaced several famous actors in t.v. dramas. He worked once with Shirley Bassey. He has also appeared on Blue Peter.

He may no longer be Richard III but today he has a different kingdom to look after.

Says Julia, “When we first started we were dealing with what you would call real country people. Now we have a much wider range of customer.
Bob Streeter in Tokyo as Richard III

 
Bob Streeter in Tokyo as Richard III

“Things are also much more colourful. There's much more choice. If, for example, in the old days if you wanted bandages you could get them in red, blue and maybe green and yellow. Today you can get them in any colour under the sun.”

So there you have it. It's official. For the last 25 years Bob and Julia have been bringing more and more colour into the lives of riders in Polegate, Eastbourne, Hailsham and surrounding areas.

Long may they continue.