'A great joy thousands of soldiers'

Throughout World War II, the Horse & Hound team never missed publishing the magazine, despite the editor being killed in a bombing, sport being decimated and the printers being shelled. Former H&H deputy editor Pippa Cuckson discovers a Blitz-spirit mentality that held the magazine together and boosted morale in those dark years

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AT the height of 1980s trade union disruption, Horse Hound's editorial team joined the National Union of Journalists in a walkout to support the miners' strike. I recall the late Michael Clayton, our editor, reproaching us for losing an issue something "Hitler's bombs" never achieved.

It is office legend that H&H reached the news stands every Friday throughout the 1939-45 war. Now, recently unearthed documents provide further insight into the efforts of a depleted team to keep H&H alive when other periodicals gave up, despite numerous setbacks including losing its beloved editor in the Blitz.

In September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany, which had invaded Poland. Until then, H&H had been doing well under its editor and proprietor Arthur Portman, son of the founder and a renowned racing journalist. It sold 22,000 copies a week, with advertising revenue improving following the appointment in 1933 of Walter Case as commercial manager and company secretary; he earned 20% commission on new business.

“Overnight there was more or less nothing to report”

IN those days, military personnel were the backbone of most elite equestrian sport. So when this vast cohort disappeared to fight, soon joined by thousands of civilian volunteers, precious few top-level riders, jockeys, polo players, organisers or judges remained to service the main domestic events.

All international shows were cancelled in Nazi-occupied Europe, with no more Olympic Games until 1948. Overnight there was more or less nothing to report until some activity quietly resumed in 1943 (including the new "Wings for Victory" show approved by The King, which we now know as Royal Windsor).