Ewart Douglas Horsfall | |
|---|---|
 Ewart Horsfall in around 1910 | |
| Born | (1892-05-24)24 May 1892 Liverpool |
| Died | 1 February 1974(1974-02-01) (aged 81) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, rower and military officer |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'srowing | ||
 | 1912 Stockholm | Men's eight |
 | 1920 Antwerp | Men's eight |
Ewart Douglas HorsfallMC (24 May 1892 – 1 February 1974) was aBritish rower who competed in the1912 Summer Olympics and in the1920 Summer Olympics.[1]
Horsfall's first marriage was with Myra Downing Fullerton, daughter of Frederick Downing Fullerton, in 1923.[2] They had three children, Robin, Geoffrey and Anne.[3] After his divorce, he married Betty Fairfax Rushby (1906–2000) in 1946. After her death, she bequeathed money and collections of art, ceramics, furniture and other objects that she mainly had inherited from her parents to the University of Liverpool in his home city of Liverpool.[4]
He was a member of Liverpool's wealthyHorsfall family. In his time the family traded inpalm oil from Africa.[4]
Horsfall was born inLiverpool, the son ofHoward Douglas Horsfall and was educated atEton College andMagdalen College, Oxford. He arrived at Oxford with an outstanding reputation as a rower and, in 1912, was in the winningOxford boat in theBoat Race.
He joinedLeander Club and was a member of the Leandereight, which won the gold medal for Great Britainrowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics. At the age of 20, he was the crew's youngest member.[5]
Horsfallstroked Oxford in the Boat Race in 1913 and became the first stroke to win the Boat Race after being behind atBarnes Railway Bridge. However, Oxford lost in 1914 when Horsfall rowed at number four. He won theGrand Challenge Cup atHenley Royal Regatta four times – three times as a stroke – and he twice stroked the winning crew in theStewards' Challenge Cup at Henley on the two occasions when he competed.[citation needed]
After the war, he returned to Oxford to help re-establish rowing at the university. He was the strokeman of the Leandereight, which won the silver medal for Great Britainrowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics, coming within half a length of winning. In 1947, Horsfall was elected a Steward ofHenley Royal Regatta, and the following year, he was manager of the British Olympic Rowing team.[6]
At the outbreak of theFirst World War, Horsfall joined theRifle Brigade but later transferred to theRoyal Flying Corps;[7] Hequalified as a pilot on 31 December 1914,[8] and reached the rank of squadron leader. He was in command of 58 Squadron later in the war and briefly in 3 Squadron in late 1917. He wasMentioned in Dispatches[9] and awarded theMilitary Cross[10] andChevalier in the Légion d'honneur[11] in 1916 when he was a temporary second lieutenant and temporary captain. He reached the rank of Major later in 1916 but became unfit for active service at times in 1917 and 1918. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1918.[citation needed]
