All point to point followers in the South East will be dismayed and upset by the news that Trevor Tidy died unexpectedly on Sunday 3 July 2019.
Trevor was very much a Countryman; although born and raised in Tunbridge Wells he spent 40 years ‘up North’ in hunt service and returned to the South East to look after his mother. Trevor’s first love was hunting and he went as Kennelman in 1976 to the late renowned Stan Luckhurst with the West Kent and then became Whip in a notoriously difficult hunting area.
But Trevor was interested in all country sports, turning to shooting, picking-up with his dogs, clay shoots, etc, where his aptitude and experience made life easy for everyone. He was a long-term ‘player’ of whatever he turned to: he became a fence steward at our meetings in the 1990s and he was the natural and universal choice of everyone when he became ‘Chief’. On a quad-bike he was a familiar and re-assuring presence, with his general horse experience being invaluable, particularly in a crisis. He set high standards, his views were forthright – sometimes pugnacious – but many of the decisions on safety came on his watch. Certainly, when Trevor spoke, you listened. It was with considerable surprise he stood down for health reasons in November 2018 – but continued to stand as a fence steward for 2019.
Together with his partner, Ann Moon, he stewarded the Equestrian Rings at Kent County Show for over 30 years and, if there was a problem, invariably it was Trevor who got it sorted. Coming so close to this year’s show, it will have been a bitter-sweet experience for Ann.
He was a strong character, supremely conscientious in what he did, with a quizzical look with his luxurious side-burns. His was a ready smile and wit – surely honed by 40 years hunt service.
Peter Webb (S E Point to Point Chairman 2012-2019) writes:
Trevor Tidy was a larger than life character – once you met him, you remembered him. Up ’til my chairmanship, I only knew him as the (mad)man who drove the quad-bike at top speed around point to point circuits.
His views on point to point course safety were forthright – he debated them strongly – and, if adopted, he made sure they were implemented to his satisfaction. Invariably during a point to point season situations affecting individuals and/or horses happen and they are invariably unexpected; he undoubtedly dealt with some difficult situations and Trevor ensured it did not happen a second time.
Many times he would ask to attend the S E Point to Point Secretaries’ Conference in June. Probably, correctly, he had worked out that whatever I said in Conference, would not have the same impact if he was there to represent it himself. Whilst he was invited for 12.00 noon, he had also correctly identified that Secretaries had an attention span of about 2 hours and the closer to lunch – minds wandered. On whatever subject he wanted to discuss a strong debate would ensue – but Trevor would always provide the clincher: “If you don’t do it, you won’t have any fence stewards next year” – and that was the end of the debate. He would have made a great shop steward
I would describe Trevor as one of the unsung heroes of middle England: if there was a crisis, he was a go-to man – you wanted him on your side. A lovely man, who will be sorely missed by all his friends. Our condolences go out to his long-time partner, Ann Moon – another of our unsung band of fence steward supporters.