Equestrian Masterpiece Pat Smythe & Finality Showjumper of the Year, Horse of the Year Show, Harringay 1949

🏆 “Pat Smythe & Finality — The Leap of Legend, 1949”

Winner of the Leading Showjumper of the Year, Horse of the Year Show, Harringay
S. Myndas (Follower of Lionel Edwards, 1878–1966)
Exhibited: Salon des Artistes Français (Paris Salon), 1956

🎨 Subject & Medium

This original watercolour on paper by S. Myndas, follower of Lionel Edwards, captures a defining moment in British sporting history — Pat Smythe and her mare Finality mid-jump during their championship-winning performance at the inaugural Horse of the Year Show, Harringay, 1949.

Rendered in luminous washes and precise pencil definition, the work unites technical mastery with emotional resonance. Rider and horse are suspended in perfect balance — a fleeting instant of courage, control, and grace that secured Smythe’s place as Britain’s first Leading Showjumper of the Year.

The composition exemplifies mid-20th-century British sporting art — fresh, fluid, and timelessly elegant — every brushstroke alive with motion and atmosphere.

🪶 Composition & Technique

Although the 1949 event took place indoors at Harringay Arena, Myndas reimagines the scene outdoors, under soft autumn light — a deliberate artistic homage to Lionel Edwards’s pastoral tradition.

This setting evokes freedom and spirit rather than spectacle. A confident pencil underdrawing provides structure, while translucent washes of colour suggest air, movement, and light.

Every muscle, rein, and shadow is observed with care but never overworked. The result is both realistic and lyrical, expressing not just a sporting triumph, but a poetic reflection of post-war renewal and hope.

🐴 The Horse — Finality

Finality, a compact 15-hand bay mare, was renowned for her intelligence, rhythm, and impeccable jumping form. Her precision and bravery mirrored Smythe’s calm intuition in the saddle.

Together they embodied the post-war equestrian ideal — refined, empathetic, and harmonious, far removed from the rigid, military style of earlier decades.

Myndas captures Finality mid-flight: her body curved with effortless grace, eyes alert, muscles poised — the very image of trust, power, and partnership.

👩🎓 The Rider — Pat Smythe (1928–1996)

At just 21 years old, Pat Smythe became a national icon when she and Finality won the first Horse of the Year Show in 1949. Her poise, courage, and artistry transformed perceptions of women in sport.

She went on to represent Great Britain in three Olympic Games — Helsinki 1952, Stockholm 1956, and Rome 1960 — winning bronze in Helsinki, the first Olympic equestrian medal ever earned by a British woman.

A champion, author, and trailblazer, Smythe combined technical brilliance with quiet strength, inspiring a generation and securing her place in the story of post-war Britain.

🏟️ The Event — Horse of the Year Show, 1949

The inaugural Horse of the Year Show was founded by Colonel Sir Mike Ansell and held at Harringay Arena, London, in September 1949. Conceived as a celebration of national resilience and spirit, it marked Britain’s renewal after the hardships of war.

Broadcast live by the BBC, the show brought showjumping into homes across the country for the first time. Smythe’s victory became a moment of shared pride and optimism, symbolising both a sporting and cultural renaissance.

Myndas’s painting preserves that atmosphere — where art, sport, and history converge.

🌟 Significance

Pat Smythe & Finality — The Leap of Legend, 1949 is a rare fusion of sporting achievement, cultural importance, and artistic excellence.

Created in the wake of the 1949 victory, the work embodies the spirit of post-war Britain — resilience, elegance, and quiet confidence.

The verso bears the Salon des Artistes Français (Paris Salon) 1956 stamp, confirming its exhibition or acceptance there — a distinction seldom accorded to a British sporting subject.

This elevates the painting from mere commemoration to internationally recognised art, standing at the intersection of history and aesthetic refinement.

🧑🎨 The Artist — S. Myndas (Follower of Lionel Edwards)

Though biographical information on S. Myndas remains limited, the painting reflects the influence of Lionel Edwards (1878–1966), Britain’s foremost equestrian painter.

Like Edwards, Myndas combines economy of line, harmony of tone, and a deep empathy for the equine form. The confident draughtsmanship, mastery of light, and balanced composition confirm a trained and sensitive hand.

The 1956 Paris Salon stamp attests to the artist’s professional standing and international recognition.

✒️ Signature

Lower right: “Pat Smythe / Finality / 1949 / S. Myndas”
Verso: Stamped “Salon des Artistes Français, 1956.”

🖼️ Frame

Newly framed to museum conservation standards:

• Larson Juhl gold-leaf spoon-profile moulded frame

• AR70 anti-reflective, UV-protective glass

• White and gold double mount complementing the palette

• Acid-free backing, sealed and professionally finished

Elegant, timeless, and ready for display.

📏 Dimensions

Framed: 71 cm (W) × 60 cm (H) × 4.5 cm (D)

🏛️ Provenance

• 1949 – Painted and signed by S. Myndas to commemorate Pat Smythe’s victory at Harringay

• c.1950 – Professionally framed by The Rowley Gallery Ltd., Kensington (label verso)

• 1956 – Exhibited or accepted at the Salon des Artistes Français, Paris (stamp verso)

• Private Collection – The Maltings, Gloucestershire

• 2023 – Exhibited: “Pat Smythe and the Post-War Equestrian Renaissance”, Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shrewsbury, curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd

• By repute – Formerly the property of Pat Smythe herself (label verso)

💎 Condition

Excellent condition. Colours bright; paper stable, with no foxing or fading.
Professionally conserved and reframed using archival materials and UV-protective glass.
Ready to hang and admire.

❤️ Why You’ll Love It

✅ A true moment in British sporting history — the first Leading Showjumper of the Year, 1949
✅ Exhibited at the Paris Salon, 1956 — a rare honour for a British equestrian subject
✅ Painted in the fine tradition of Lionel Edwards, combining realism and lyricism
✅ Features Pat Smythe and Finality, icons of post-war Britain
✅ Museum-standard framing and conservation 
✅ Outstanding provenance and exhibition record
✅ Perfect for collectors of sporting art, equestrian heritage, and British history