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British soldier and horse rider (1905–1994) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Colonel Sir Michael Picton Ansell, CBE, DSO (26 March 1905 – 17 February 1994) was a soldier, showjumper, polo player, and horse show administrator.
| Colonel Sir Mike Ansell CBE DSO | |
|---|---|
Ansell in March 1951. | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Michael Picton Ansell |
| Nationality | British |
| Discipline | Show jumping |
| Born | 26 March 1905 Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Died | 17 February 1994 (aged 88) Brighton, England |
Ansell was born on 26 March 1905 at the Curragh, County Kildare.[1] His father Lt Col George Ansell was killed in September 1914, during the First World War, leading the 5th Dragoon Guards in a cavalry charge against German positions, for which he was subsequently mentioned in dispatches.[2] [3] After attending St Michael's Westgate-in-Sea and Wellington College he went to Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
In August 1924 he was commissioned into the 5th/6th Dragoons, a regiment formed two years earlier by the amalgamation of the 5th Dragoon Guards and 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons (his father having served in both regiments). He served throughout the 1930s a cavalry officer, show jumping rider,[1] and international polo player.
In France in March 1940, during World War II, he was given command of a yeomanry regiment, the 1st Lothians and Border Horse, becoming the British Army's youngest commanding officer at the time.[1] He won the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), but was shortly afterwards wounded in the hand and eyes by "friendly fire", blinding him permanently, and then became a prisoner of war (POW).[1] All four fingers on his injured left hand were later amputated.[4] He was repatriated from a German POW camp in 1943.[1]
From 1957 to 1962 he was Colonel of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards.[5]
An invitation to take up the position of chairman of the British Showjumping Association led to him being credited with revitalising the sport.[1] He restarted the Royal International Horse Show and initiated the Horse of the Year Show.[1] He was Chairman of the British Horse Society[6] and Chaired the British Showjumping Association from 1945 until 1964.[4] He was the first president of the British Equestrian Federation.[6]
In 1967, when his address was given as "Pillhead House, Bideford", he was High Sheriff of Devon. He was President of St Dunstan's, a charity for blind servicemen, from 1977 to 1986.[1]
Picton was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1951 New Year Honours[7] and a Knight Bachelor (Kt) in the 1968 New Year Honours.[8][1]
He appeared on the television programme This Is Your Life on 28 March 1960,[citation needed] and as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 14 July 1973.[9]
His autobiography, Soldier On, was published in 1973. It had a foreword by the Duke of Edinburgh.[10] His final book, Leopard: the story of my horse, featured a foreword by Prince Charles.[11]
In 1977, he was a recipient of the Silver Olympic Order.[12]
He died on 17 February 1994 in Brighton, England, aged 88.[1]
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