Trotting on the Grey, Wickham Horse Fair
- Oil on board
- 10 x 13 in
- Susie Whitcombe
$2,000. - 3,000.
Already notable as the birthplace of William of Wykeham, the founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford. Wickham, a small village in the civil parish in Hampshire, has a rich history dating back to Roman times. After Norman Conquest a church was established and the manor gifted to a loyal subject of King William. In 1269 a descendant, Roger de Scures, was granted a charter by King Henry III to hold weekly market & thus Wickham, as it is known today, and its associated horse fair were established.
Held annually on the 20th of May, Wickham Fair is one of two English horse fairs that can trace its roots back to the 13th Century. Bareback parades with ponies decorated in ribbons and regalia dominate the event attended by Romany horse traders from all over the country. Today, modern fair rides accompany the festivities & Romany Cobbs are tied up outside what used to be the local pub in anticipation for their turn at the running track, where buyers gather to view the selection and partake in the drink and merriment associated with the historic fair.
- Collections: KCG 2020 Cross Gate Contemporary, Saratoga 2021, Saratoga 2023