Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2011 | Page 104

EQUESTRIAN

emotions because it was a really
enjoyable experience getting all the
lots out and ready, and reliving a few
old memories as the auction went on.
It was also really good on the day to
have a chat to a few people we had
maybe not see for a while, and listen
to some tales about the past.
“There were a lot of memories there
for me, because I had been there since
the collection was started, and grew
up with it. For me there were about
30 years of memories all in one hit,
so although it was a nice thing to be
involved in, it was also a tough one at
times. At the same time it was pleasing
to know that so many of the items
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were going to good use, including
the Shire horses and a lot of the
equipment.”

“In a way it was
reassuring to meet the
people who had bought
them, and listen to what
they were going to do
with them."
Following the day-long auction the
eight Shire horses, that were such an
integral part of the collection, have

already been moved on to new homes.
But as Matt explained: “In a way it
was reassuring to meet the people who
had bought them, and listen to what
they were going to do with them.
It was nice not only for me but also
for the staff who had looked after
them to know where they were going
as working horses, and the staff can
continue to keep in touch with the
new owners.”
One of the more unusual items
that went under the hammer was a
wooden ox plough, thought to be
several hundred years old. There were
also implements that the Legge family
had made or converted themselves for