The lives of two Malvern figures who helped change British equestrianism have been added to a list of influential British people.

An update to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography celebrates the lives of Jack Hance, a riding instructor and writer on equestrianism, and his daughter Jackie Hance, a successful competitor at horse shows.

Born in 1887, Jack Hance joined the army and became a riding instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

His army career was cut short in 1923 when the army moved to mechanisation. 

Desperate for an income, Hance acquired a riding school in Malvern, mainly catering for the girls’ schools in the town. Accustomed to army life, he now found himself escorting his pupils on their horses along the lanes around Malvern.

Frustrated with this work, Hance developed the school into a residential equitation centre, providing expert tuition for adults, at a time when equestrian skills in Britain were felt to lag behind the continent.

Hance’s school proved a great success. The Lygon family of Madresfield supported the school.  Pupils were attracted by its reputation. Among them was Evelyn Waugh, whom Hance taught to ride.

Among the best advertisements for the Malvern school was Hance’s daughter, Jackie. Born in 1916, she competed in major shows, and became one of the most celebrated female riders of the 1930s.

The outbreak of the Second World War ended the viability of the Malvern riding school as a business.

However, through his books on horsemanship, his teaching, and the contribution and achievements of his daughter, Hance is described as ‘a pivotal figure in the development of British equestrianism in the inter-war years’.

He and his daughter are among 22 notable figures in the modern history of British equestrianism added to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography this month.

The Oxford DNB is the national record of men and women who have shaped British history, worldwide, from prehistory to the year 2019.

From September 2023 the dictionary includes biographies of 64,881 individuals, written by over 10,000 contributors. It is freely accessible to members of most public libraries.