# Army School of Equitation > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Army_School_of_Equitation > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Army_School_of_Equitation.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_School_of_Equitation > Source revision: 1323743034 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Army School of Equitation The canal gateway at Weedon Site information Type Barracks Owner Ministry of Defence Operator British Army Location Army School of Equitation Location within Northamptonshire Coordinates 52°13′57″N 1°05′00″W / 52.2325°N 1.0834°W / 52.2325; -1.0834 Site history Built 1922 Built for War Office In use 1922 to 1940 Garrison information Occupants Depot of the Intelligence Corps The **Army School of Equitation** was a [British Army](/source/British_Army) school at [Weedon](/source/Weedon_Bec) in [Northamptonshire](/source/Northamptonshire), created in 1922 and closed in 1940. In the worlds of cavalry and horses it was commonly called simply **Weedon**. ## History The stables of the Army School of Equitation photographed in 1974 The site had its origins in the Military Ordnance Depot established there in 1805.[1] By 1919, it was also the home of the Royal Artillery Riding Establishment after the riding school at the [Royal Artillery Barracks](/source/Royal_Artillery_Barracks%2C_Woolwich) in [Woolwich](/source/Woolwich) was designated solely for the purposes of teaching cadets at the [Royal Military Academy, Woolwich](/source/Royal_Military_Academy%2C_Woolwich) to ride.[2] In December 1922, the Royal Artillery Riding Establishment amalgamated with the Cavalry School, previously based at [Netheravon House](/source/Netheravon_House) in [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire), to form the Army School of Equitation at Weedon.[3] The first Commandant was Colonel [Charles Walwyn](/source/Charles_Walwyn), known as "Taffy".[4] The choice of location gave an area with good riding country, in the heart of England, served not only by the [Grand Union Canal](/source/Grand_Union_Canal) and [Weedon railway station](/source/Weedon_railway_station) but also by a branch line to the military depot.[5] The school came to be seen as the leading centre of British horsemanship and was described as "the Mecca of cavalrymen throughout the Empire".[6] The [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain_at_the_Olympics) equestrian team at the [1936 Summer Olympics](/source/Equestrian_events_at_the_1936_Summer_Olympics) in Berlin was raised from the Army School of Equitation at Weedon, with [Philip Bowden-Smith](/source/Philip_Bowden-Smith), a former Chief Instructor at Weedon, as team captain. It won the Bronze Medal in the team eventing.[7] Weedon closed in 1940.[8] Its demonstration horses were dispersed and were noted for their high standard of accuracy in performing the school movements.[9] Ten years later, the term "Weedon seat" was still being used for the style of riding taught at Weedon.[8] Instead of the old-fashioned "backward seat", it taught a version of the "forward seat" developed by [Federico Caprilli](/source/Federico_Caprilli) in the Italian Army's school at [Pinerolo](/source/Pinerolo).[10] The floor of the former stables, now a feature within a housing estate Weedon gained fame through the achievements of its pupils, including [Harry Llewellyn](/source/Harry_Llewellyn) and his horse [Foxhunter](/source/Foxhunter).[11] In 1950, John Board wrote that "All English riding to-day is based on the teaching of Weedon."[4] In 1952, he added that "nearly all of our best horsemen" had graduated from the school, adding "Now there is no Weedon."[12] ## Commandants - 1922–1923 : [Charles Walwyn](/source/Charles_Walwyn)[4] - 1923: [George Alexander Weir](/source/George_Alexander_Weir), CMG, DSO - 1926–1930: [Wentworth Harman](/source/Wentworth_Harman)[13] - 1934–1938: [John Blakiston-Houston](/source/John_Blakiston-Houston_(British_Army_officer))[14] - 1938–1939: [James Joseph Kingstone](/source/James_Joseph_Kingstone)[15] ## Question to War Secretary On Tuesday 25 July 1939, in the House of Commons [Somerset de Chair](/source/Somerset_de_Chair) asked [Leslie Hore-Belisha](/source/Leslie_Hore-Belisha), [Secretary of State for War](/source/Secretary_of_State_for_War) "whether it has been definitely decided to close down the Equitation School at Weedon; and, if so, whether he will consider establishing a training and remounts depot there to supply the remaining horsed cavalry regiments."[16] The reply was "The establishment at Weedon comprises an equitation school, where officers and other ranks are trained as instructors in equitation; and a remount wing. The transfer of the school and remount wing elsewhere has not yet been finally approved. A depot squadron for training cavalry recruits has been opened at Edinburgh."[16] Chair then asked "May I take it that, if it is decided to transfer the establishment from Weedon, it is not proposed to abolish the Equitation School as such?"[16] The reply to this was "I hope that my honourable Friend will not read into the answer more than it contains."[16] ## Aftermath The Equine Training Squadron of the [Defence Animal Training Regiment](/source/Defence_Animal_Training_Regiment), based at [Melton Mowbray](/source/Melton_Mowbray), has stabling for 140 horses and grazing for 260. It provides training for all riders and horses going to the [Household Cavalry](/source/Household_Cavalry) ([Life Guards](/source/Life_Guards_(United_Kingdom)) and [Blues and Royals](/source/Blues_and_Royals)) and the [King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery](/source/King's_Troop%2C_Royal_Horse_Artillery). When [Anne, Princess Royal](/source/Anne%2C_Princess_Royal), formally opened a riding school there in 2008, it was referred to as "the new Army School of Equitation Riding School at the Defence Animal Centre". [17] ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Weedon Bec: a home fit for a King? New BBC film casts controversial light on historic military hub"](https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/weedon-bec-a-home-fit-for-a-king-new-bbc-film-casts-controversial-light-on-historic-military-hub-4078093). *Northampton Chronicle*. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Royal Artillery Riding Establishment, Weedon"](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1919-11-18/debates/87fbc555-cf0a-4fbe-8d07-415dba4bc467/RoyalArtilleryRidingEstablishmentWeedon). Hansard. 18 November 1919. Retrieved 23 November 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Richard Mead, *The Last Great Cavalryman: The Life of General Sir Richard McCreery, Commander Eighth Army* (Casemate Publishers, 2012), [p. 30](https://books.google.com/books?id=3a-_4BEGiOwC&pg=PA30) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-JB2_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-JB2_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-JB2_4-2) John Board, *Horse and Pencil* (1950), p. 36 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Northamptonshire: Weedon Bec. 'Plan of Weedon Barracks'"](https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4562836). National Archives. Retrieved 22 July 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** *[Blackwood's Magazine](/source/Blackwood's_Magazine)*, vol. 264 (1948), p. 300 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** "Army Horsemen Honoured: Olympic Games Achievement", *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*, 10 October 1936. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GAB_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GAB_8-1) George A. Bennett, *Let's All Enjoy the Horse Show* (1951), p. 38 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Board (1950), p. 67 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Michael Clayton, William Steinkraus, *The Complete Book of Show Jumping* (1975), p. 34 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Murphy, Genevieve (17 November 1999). ["Sir Harry Llewellyn Bt"](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-sir-harry-llewellyn-bt-1126621.html) (obituary). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. Retrieved 15 October 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** John Board, *Horses and Horsemen: Hunting, Jumping, Showing, Polo* (1952), p. 133 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** "Harman, Lt-Gen. Sir (Antony Ernest) Wentworth" in *[Who Was Who](/source/Who's_Who_(UK))*, online edition, 1 December 2007, accessed 30 October 2023 (subscription required) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [Army Commands](https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf), accessed 29 October 2023 1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Kingstone JJ"](https://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_K01.html#Kingstone_JJ), British Army officer histories 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hansard_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hansard_16-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Hansard_16-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Hansard_16-3) ["Equitation School, Weedon"](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1939-07-25/debates/5d399431-ad4e-4dde-b577-c03dfafdd842/EquitationSchoolWeedon) debated on Tuesday 25 July 1939, in *[Hansard](/source/Hansard)*, Volume 350, hansard.parliament.uk, assessee 30 October 2023 1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Calendar of the British Royals (February 2008)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212429/http://www.thegloss.com/2008/02/07/odds-and-ends/calendar-of-the-british-royals-february-2008/), accessed 30 October 2023 ## See also - [Irish Army Equitation School](/source/Irish_Army_Equitation_School) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Army School of Equitation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_School_of_Equitation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_School_of_Equitation?action=history)). 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