“I grew up a showground brat and absolutely loved it,” laughs Simon Brooks-Ward in his typically unstuffy manner. “My identical twin James and I were born on the first night of the Horse of the Year Show at Wembley in 1963, and my father Raymond Brooks-Ward was one of the voices of equestrian commentary during its heyday on the BBC. We went to Hickstead, the Royal International Horse Show at White City, Wembley and Birmingham, the Royal Windsor Horse Show and, of course, the show my father started in 1971: the Olympia International Horse Show – now the London International Horse Show at ExCeL.”

Born showman

Simon Brooks-Ward, a born showman, actually began his career in PR and was only propelled on to the equestrian world stage by the untimely death of his father in 1992. Immediately he found himself running the Pavarotti International Horse Show in Modena, and Olympia that Christmas. From this baptism of fire, Brooks-Ward quickly established himself as the prime mover in the world of equestrian events, so when the Royal Windsor Horse Show committee announced in 1996 that survival was looking unlikely, he insisted that the show must go on: “The fearlessness of youth took over, and I stuck my hand up to take over the risks of running it.”

The London International Horse Show and Royal Windsor Horse Show might be the jewels in the crown but Brooks- Ward’s HPower Group also has a history of consulting on international shows, and boasts an impressive portfolio of non-equine work such as government commemorations of D-Day, the centenary of the First World War and the events celebrating 100 years of the Territorial Army.

However, Brooks-Ward’s proudest achievements have all been in support of the Royal Family. “It is the Jubilee events that I would look back to if I had to single any out. Being able to create these events for the late Queen was not only an honour but an immense personal privilege,” he reveals. “They were all staged at Windsor, starting in 2002 with the Golden Jubilee celebrations. This was my first big ‘set piece’ event as director and I remember it primarily for the interest that the Queen took in the planning. One day, a helicopter of the Queen’s Flight hovered over the showground. This was the principal guest taking a close interest in the build.”

Brooks-Ward followed this hugely successful event with the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012, where more than 500 horses and 800 performers came together in the pouring rain for a 90-minute night-time spectacular: “Over 27mm of rain fell in one day and on the opening night the operations team wanted to cancel. I insisted that we went ahead, pointing out that the Cook Island dancers hadn’t travelled 10,000 miles for a no-show. We got away with it.”

Later, in 2016, Brooks-Ward staged the Queen’s 90th birthday event at Windsor. This earned him a BAFTA but he returns to the special times he shared with the late Queen when he reflects on what has mattered most to him: “It was 2022 that I will remember the most. It was the last set-piece event that the Queen attended, and I will never forget escorting her to her seat. The outpouring of affection brought the hairs up on the back of my neck; I can still feel the atmosphere now. The Queen stayed until the very end, and the next morning she sent me a handwritten letter of thanks. It is my most treasured possession.”

For one so proud of the service he has given the Royal Family, it comes as no surprise that Brooks-Ward has also enjoyed a successful military career in the Army Reserve. Again, his relaxed manner belies his achievements as a serious soldier. “It wasn’t meant to be but ended up being so. I joined the Royal Yeomanry as a trooper in 1987, and in 2002 I was appointed as their commanding officer. Five months later I was in Kuwait, waiting to go over the border into Iraq with an American brigade. We went north in March 2003, reaching Baghdad and beyond. For our efforts the Royal Yeomanry was awarded a battle honour – the only Reserve regiment to be given one since the Second World War,” he says.

Major general

Various senior appointments came after, and Brooks-Ward was promoted to major general. He undertook his last executive appointment as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets) – the senior reservist post in the Armed Forces – in 2018. He still maintains close ties with a variety of military organisations and took over from Colonel The Lord de Mauley as Colonel Commandant Yeomanry in January. He is also honorary colonel of the Royal Yeomanry and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. Unsurprisingly, horses and sport run deep through all these appointments. “The Yeomanry has a strong tradition of participation in country sports and The King’s Troop combines everything I enjoy about the military, with its ceremonial discipline, horses, tradition and pursuit of excellence. They are a credit to their nation,” he declares.

Hunting household

Brooks-Ward was brought up in a hunting household. “Father loved his hounds. He was a Master for 27 seasons and sat on the Masters of Foxhounds Association under the leadership of Ronnie Wallace. Annabel, my wife, was Master of the Tiverton Foxhounds and I have hunted with them for the past 12 seasons,” he says. “I deeply empathise with rural sports and the countryside they occupy. I relate my military experiences to the countryside, as it is the people who occupy both domains that matter most to me.” This empathy and sense of duty are the traits that Brooks-Ward conveys above all, and we are lucky to have him on our side.