Alan Ball
Thursday 25 August 2016
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of International Course Designer Alan Ball who passed on Monday 22nd August 2016.
Born in Lancashire in 1932, Alan left school to work in the family building business in Southport during which time he also helped with the team of heavy horses that his grandparents used within their haulage business. The horses were shown at Liverpool Show and it was at one of these shows, where Alan used to help prepare the horses, that he met Bill Lucy who was a British Showjumping representative at the time.
This chance meeting was set to change the course of Alan’s life as he was then introduced to John Gross and Jack Talbot-Ponsonby who built across the country at the time and it wasn’t long until Alan was spending his weekends assisting them. This continued through the late 1950’s and 1960’s with him course-designing at the weekends as a hobby whilst still working within the family business.
In 1972, Alan was invited to join British Showjumping as a full time member of staff in the role of Senior Head Course Designer. This was a life changing decision for Alan as it meant moving his family which consisted of wife Pat, whom he had married in 1961 and daughter Tracey who was born in 1962 and son Mark who was born in 1965.
Initially moving to Leamington Spa so that they were close to the British Showjumping offices at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire they then moved to Long Itchington which was to become their home for more than forty years and they set down roots.
The summer of 1988 saw Alan present in an official capacity for the FEI at the Seoul Olympic Games and it was not too long afterwards in the early 1990’s when Alan retired from British Showjumping. He then continued his career working independently across many of the major national and international until his early seventies before retiring fully and focusing on family life.
Assisting those wishing to pursue a career within Course Design was an area that Alan took great pride in and International course designer Bob Ellis, who designed the London 2012 course, paid tribute to Alan by saying “I consider myself extremely fortunate to have worked alongside Alan for 15 years. He played an instrumental role in my career, he was a brilliant course designer and a great man. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing; he leaves behind a huge legacy for the sport”
British Showjumping would like to express their sincere condolences to Alan’s wife Pat, daughter Tracey, son Mark and granddaughter Dale during this difficult and extremely sad time.
Information regarding the funeral details are below and the family have expressed that all those who may wish to pay their respects to Alan will be warmly welcomed. Light refreshment will follow in the village of Long Itchington; further details of which will be made available at the service.
Funeral Details:
5th September 2016 – 11:30am
Oakley Woods Crematorium, Bishops Tachbrook, Leamington Spa, CV33 9QP
.jpg "Thrilling Weekend Kickstarts the STX-UK Pony British Novice Championship Second Round")
