In memoriam: Sydney Smith

It is with great sadness that British Dressage has learned of the passing of Sydney Smith, who was a dedicated, long-standing supporter of development and training activity from her centre, The Unicorn Trust. 

Almost thirty years ago, Sydney Smith founded the Unicorn Trust, an extraordinary centre of excellence based in Stow on the Wold, in the heart of the Cotswolds. From 1996 to present day, the centre has provided a place where horses and people of all abilities were welcome to make use of the first class facilities that Sydney developed with vision and passion.

The Unicorn Trust has been a mecca for dressage education over three decades, providing a training venue of the highest quality that's seen some of Britain's greatest riders hone their skills in the arenas and classrooms. Sydney was a great supporter of para dressage, and purpose built the Unicorn to accomodate the needs of all; as such, countless BD para dressage training sessions were held at the venue, allowing Britain's medallists to train in an outstanding accessible setting. Alongside para dressage, youth riders and the development of young talent was high on Sydney's list of passions; from team training to development days, her treasured centre will be present in the memory of many travelled from across the country to attend a BD Youth squad event, whether for winter training or championship preparation. 

Sydney herself had a lifelong passion for carriage driving, achieving success both at the reins as a driver and as a highly respected judge for both Driving Trials and Private Driving. She served on the Driving Trials Committee for 20 years, with much of that time spent as chairman of the Training Committee. She also leaves behind an outstanding legacy in the development of young drivers, which was the fundamental passion underpining the creation of the Unicorn Trust. On visiting today, riders and drivers can see beautiful carriages displayed in the presentation gallery alongside the indoor arena. 

In 2016, Sydney received the British Equestrian Medal of Honour in recognition of her instrumental role played, and the provision of world class facilities for equestrian activities across the disciplines and levels. 

Sydney passed away on 26 April 2025, after a short illness, details of a celebration of her life will be shared in the coming days. British Dressage extends condolences to the family and friends of Sydney, as well as sharing heartfelt thanks for the dedication and passion with which she ran an outstanding legacy centre.