DEEP is the wound collectively felt by us all at the tragic loss of the late Jack de Bromhead whose short but wonderful life has touched so many. These beautiful comforting words by the renowned Irish poet Francis Ledwidge come to mind and hand.

A Little Boy in the Morning

He will not come, and still I wait.

He whistles at another gate

Where angels listen. Ah I know

He will not come, yet if I go

How shall I know he did not pass

barefooted in the flowery grass?

The moon leans on one silver horn

Above the silhouettes of morn,

And from their nest-sills finches whistle

Or stooping pluck the downy thistle.

How is the morn so gay and fair

Without his whistling in its air?

The world is calling, I must go.

How shall I know he did not pass

Barefooted in the shining grass?

Poet Francis Ledwidge (1887- 1917)

Loss of Queen Elizabeth II

Whether you are a supporter of monarchies or not, the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday must be acknowledged for her extraordinary sense of selfless duty to her country and the Commonwealth countries across the last eight decades.

The Queen’s visit to our country in 2011 played its own important part in healing the divisions of past centuries between our two nations and helped forge a new relationship. Her lifelong love and unwavering passion for horses and ponies of all breeds and disciplines endeared the Queen to many on this island, a common bond that we all share together. May she rest in peace.