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SMS Feature
HALF A CENTURY IN SADDLERY
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS).
The first SMS bridle fitting course was held in 2009 with subsequent courses run biennially.
T
he SMS was formed as a trade association for the craft retail saddler. It has since embraced all aspects of the saddlery trade. The society was formed as a limited company on 23 November, 1966. Subscribers included many well-known saddlers such as JHL Shields of Sunbury on Thames, ME Howitt of Alton, Hants, RE Whiting of London, AP Lewin of Coventry, RC Gidden of W&H Gidden in London, REG Hayes of WG Hayes and Sons of Cirencester and P Davies of JAS Fox Saddlers of Wetherby. The formation was witnessed by Roy Britter, secretary of The Leather Institute who also became the first secretary of the newly formed SMS. There were no representatives from the saddlery trade in Walsall. This new association was set up primarily to look after the interests of retail saddlers whose craftsmen apprentices had access to training at Cordwainers College in London and the Rural Industries Bureau before taking up positions in retail saddlers’ workshops. The SMS was also designed to protect the independence of the retail country saddler and set it apart from its trade counterparts. Says industry expert Mike Williams: “It’s interesting, but not surprising, that most, if not all, of the original subscribers are no longer with us and there are only two of the original list who are still in business in their own right. “Of those two, only one business is still in family hands. That business belonged to the first president (1968/9), M E Howitt of
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Alton in Hampshire, and they are still members of the society.” For the next four years, presidents were drawn from the original subscribers until 1974 when Ron Whiffen, managing director of Rawle and Sons, harness makers of south London, took on the role. The Society really began to take shape around 1978 when its go-ahead president Keith Luxford formed closer links with The Worshipful Company of Saddlers, the trade in Walsall and the Mounted Units of the Army in London. That outward-looking trend continued in 1979 with Ray Judson and then through John Vant of Westgate in his role as the head of Canterbury Saddle Centre. Keith Luxford was re-elected in 1981. Landmark initiatives during this period included a SMS-approved general purpose saddle being made to an agreed specification by a number of Walsall companies. Promoted nationally, it was sold through SMS retail members. There was also work carried out on British Standards for saddle trees. The society set about raising its profile with product swing tags carrying an SMS seal of approval, shop-window badges and logo’d carrier bags. Twenty plus delegates attended the first saddle symposium. There were also factory visits in Walsall. The first recorded results for the SMS saddlery competition were in 1974. By 1982, the Worshipful Company of Saddlers hosted the National Saddlery Competition at Saddlers Hall in London. Presidents that followed - Clifford Ingram, Ken Langford and the first president from
the trade, David Seipel of E. Jeffries (1984), continued to build the society’s standing. Keith Luxford, elected for a third term in 1985, outlined the society’s aims in his yearbook message. They still apply today and include the care and protection of craftsmen in the saddlery trade and the maintenance of their standards of expertise. Keith also introduced a new post of chief executive and appointed Harold Knight who he recruited from BETA. It was also around this time that the society introduced The Code of Practice for Saddlers and appointed Dennis Colton as field officer. Tony Russell became chief executive in 1993 when he retired from running his business, Osier Saddlery. Hazel Morley started working for the society in 1994, becoming chief executive in 2002. And the last word to current SMS president Laura Dempsey: “We’re constantly raising standards amongst saddle fitters and craft members and our aim is to never stand still or rest on our laurels. The society continues to be forward thinking while striving to keep traditional saddlery skills at the highest level.”
Young Blood: Corrin King is a shining example of the next generation to be enthused by saddlery. Based at S.Milner & Son (see Retailer Profile in this issue of ETN), Corrin scooped two awards at this year’s National Competition at Saddlers’ Hall as well as winning a saddlery competition at BETA International for apprentices and students.
EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JUNE 2016