Trooper – Westbury’s other horse!

By Liz Argent …

It was January 1944. War had been raging for over four years and, although there had been some successes, nobody could accurately predict when it would end. Maintaining morale and lightening the mood was an important task and national newspapers played their part with stories of a more humorous nature.

So it was that for three weeks, the story of Trooper (and his cart) made headlines in the Daily Express.

War is an expensive business, even at local government level. In early January 1944, Westbury Urban District Council was struggling to balance the books. Looking at a deficit of £2,221, the council had already levied a sixpenny supplementary rate and cancelled an order for a new uniform for the fire guard chief. They now began to consider what assets they could sell. A suggestion was made that the council’s cart should go. A local farm had already offered £14 for it, but it might fetch at least double that if sent to auction in Frome. The problem was how to get it there. Councillor Nelson Scull had the answer; the council’s horse could pull it. Councillor Mrs Pinniger was doubtful the horse would manage as it was “very shaky on its pins”. Nevertheless it was agreed to sell the cart in Frome.

The editor of the Express obviously decided that this story had legs (literally) – or, at the very least, wheels – as three days later there was a follow-up story. This time Mary Haslam reported earning her by-line by adding a bit of local colour.

She wrote that eighteen year old Trooper, a bay standing at seventeen hands, was an easy favourite for the “Frome Market Handicap” with most of the town thinking the odds were in his favour and that he would succeed in pulling the yellow and red cart, which weighed around 9 cwt. for about 8 miles. They were said to be planning a great send off for him the following week.

Worthy Brown, the carter for Westbury UDC was interviewed. With indignation on his “weatherbrown face” he insisted that of course he’d be alright. Trooper had never had a day’s sickness and when harnessed he looked a treat. He wore two pounds’ worth of Worthy’s own brasses.

Councillor Scull was also confident as he’d been a farmer all his life and knew horses. He added “I was a cavalry man in the last war. I say the old horse is quite up to the job“. Only Councillor Mrs Pinniger continued to have a mind full of care and worry about Trooper’s stamina. Interviewed in her garden on Bratton Road and near Westbury’s other horse – which of course was invisible due to its wartime camouflage – she worried that the trip would be too much and that if Trooper fell down he would not get up again. She was sure he would have to be put to sleep when he got back, if he got back at all.

Trooper, meanwhile, unaware of all the fuss, was taking his hay in the council field behind the glove factory, completely unperturbed.

So the stage was set. The council cart was to be sold in Frome. Trooper would pull it there and Worthy Young would ride the horse back to Westbury.

  The story began to resonate with the paper’s readers. On 13th January, six days before Trooper’s epic journey there was an offer in the Express from Mr Alfred Brisco of Carlisle, the secretary of the National Equine Defence League. The league offered £10 to Westbury UDC if they would sell the cart to the local farmer for £14, thus guaranteeing the council £24. There were two conditions: Trooper was not to undertake such long journeys in future and when he retired, the council was to send him to the league’s rest home for horses in Carlisle.

The next report was on 20th January, the day after Frome Market was held. What had happened? Had Trooper made it and returned home without incident? In the end, it was somewhat of an anti-climax. No council cart had arrived for sale from Westbury. Trooper had stayed at home doing his usual jobs around the town. The town councillors had become shy about discussing their decision to sell the cart and would give no hint as to its future.

Just over a week later however, matters became clearer. Trooper had finally lost his cart and the argument over how far he could pull it was no longer an issue. The cart had last been seen on a council lorry at Sutton Veny having been sold to Mr. Viney of Raxters Farm.

So what became of Trooper after his fifteen minutes of fame? Sadly his fate is not recorded. Hopefully he continued to contentedly munch his hay under the watchful care of Worthy Young.