Jos and Alice with two of the farm dogs (courtesy of Mrs Mary Steen - Jos's daughter)

Throughout the 1970s and early ’80s they came from miles around to see the magnificent Shire horses of Edwin "Jos" Holland. Families from Tamworth, Birmingham and South Derbyshire would make a trip to the fields around Edingale House Farm a regular Sunday outing. Most of them had little knowledge of horses; they simply wanted to watch these huge animals and, much as today, few people could resist the attraction of heavy horses at village fêtes and shows throughout the summer. But it was not just the general public who travelled to Edingale, for Jos Holland was recognised in Britain and throughout the world as a distinguished breeder of Shires.

His success was based upon a natural ability and tremendous physical energy, despite getting off to a very poor start in life. He was a very delicate child who had pneumonia twice and suffered from bronchitis and asthma. In fact the doctor told his mother that if she managed to keep him going until his ninth birthday he might just survive to manhood. Survive he did – to the age of 97! And the Shire horse has much to thank him for. During the lean years of the 1950s he was one of the few enthusiasts who saved the breed from extinction.

The youngest of seven children, Jos was born in 1889 in Madeley Park Farm near Whitmoor, Staffordshire. His father died when Jos was about four years old and after his older brothers died his mother moved him and his two sisters to Edingale House Farm near Tamworth, Staffordshire. In 1918 he married Alice Cliffe of Brookfields, Edingale. The couple had a few days in Bournemouth and Jos told his new wife to make the most of it since it would probably be the last holiday they would have! His prophecy proved to be correct and the couple never did have another holiday; they were too busy building up their 200 acre farm. At first they grew corn and root crops but Jos decided that the heavy clay soil was more suited to cattle and he turned it over to grass. Longhorns came first, then Friesians. The farm was, of course, worked by horses. As a lad he had learned how to break colts for working and he and his brothers would keep them for five or six years and then sell them for farm work.

Edingale Grey Kingmaker aged three was second at London in 1935. He was sold to Mr Balderstone (picture courtesy George Duggins family)

Despite having worked with horses since his boyhood, he knew little about Shires until he went to the London show with a member of the Froggatt family, who were well known in the Shire world. During the following two years he learned as much as he could and bought his first Shire in 1922. This was a mare called Pipe Ridware Bloom who had won prizes in the South Staffordshire area. She cost Jos £215. The mare was in foal and gave birth to a filly but it died of pneumonia after only a few days. He then bought a yearling that had won at Lichfield. He kept this horse and the mare for two years but then lost them both within two weeks. The mare was kicked by another horse and broke a leg; the other stepped on a nail and was put down after the wound went sceptic. Not a good start, and one that would have put most people off Shires for life. But Jos’s daughter Mary recalls her father as a very determined man who would always see things through, no matter what the difficulties or set backs. He bought a stallion at the next Peterborough Show and this horse, in conjunction with his uncanny knack of being able to pick out good colts, formed the basis of the world famous Edingale Stud.

Edingale Enterprise

Buying about six colts each year, he would keep them for two or three years and then sell them on: in fact, during the next fifteen years he sold around 50 young stallions for about £200 each. He also had a brood mare that was producing good foals. In 1931 one of his home bred stallions gained second at the London show and the following year his mare, Thurmaston Rosebud, took first.

Jos’s success as a breeder brought him to the attention of other prominent horsemen in the country. His daughter, Mary, who now lives in America, can recall a constant stream of farmers and breeders arriving at the farm to view her father’s horses. She particularly remembers the visits of Mr Forshaw, who had the biggest stud in the country at that time, and Mr Balderstone, who was the second biggest breeder. She recalls Mr Balderstone always arriving at the farm in time for a meal - and always leaving having bought some horses.

Mary says, "Mr Tom Forshaw was so impressed with Dad’s consistently good stock that he once bought a horse without even seeing it. He rang to ask if Dad had a stallion and if it could be delivered the following day to his place at Newark. The horse was loaded and on its way by 5.30 the following morning. It was later sold to a breeder in Ireland where it was considered to be the best stallion in the country." "Dad was always up by 5 a.m. and often worked well into the evening. I didn’t have much to do with the horses. I didn’t like them much; they were too big for me. But I did have to spend hours filling in Stud Books and keeping breeding records. As well as horses and cattle, Dad did a lot for the revival of Clun Forest sheep and Tamworth Red pigs."

Edingale Franklin at four years. He took first place at Derby in 1946 (Picture courtesy Mrs Mary Steen)

The latter is something of an understatement, for at one time Jos was the leading breeder of Cluns and probably did more than anyone else to secure the survival of the Tamworth Red.

At the age of 90 he could still be seen riding his bicycle through the village and along the lanes around Edingale. He was a well-respected man quite apart from his prowess as a farmer and breeder, and was known to everybody as "Master" Holland. The three men who worked the farm all stayed with Master Holland throughout their working lives. Tom Wilcox received his long service medal from the Royal Agricultural Society for 44 years service. George Allen worked on the farm for 42 years and George Duggins, the youngest, for 40 years. Throughout his long career Jos received many accolades for his work. At one time he was the youngest ever committee member of the Shire Horse Society and, at the age of 93, he was awarded life membership of the Council. (At this grand old age, perhaps this was long overdue!) In 1982 he received the MBE for his services to agriculture.

At the age of 94 Jos decided that it was time to retire from the Shire horse scene and the Stud was put up for sale. It was an emotionally charged day in April 1984 when 4,000 people came from all over the country and abroad, some to buy, others just to see Jos Holland’s horses. Pride of the sale was the magnificent stallion, Edingale Mascot. The nine year old 18.3 hh beauty was described by Jos himself as "The best stallion I ever had and the best in the country." He was sold before the auction to Thomas J Smart of Fox Valley Farms, USA, for 8,000 guineas. Sadly, Mascot died four years later from a twisted gut, despite the best efforts of Dr Crawford, chief veterinary surgeon at the University of Wisconsin. Mascot was buried upright and facing east towards his home at Edingale.

George Duggins with Edingale Mascot at the Peterborough Show (Picture courtesy Mrs Mary Steen)

Among those at the sale was Sir John Miller, who was then the Royal Equerry, representing Her Majesty the Queen. He purchased Edingale Lady in White, mother of Edingale Mascot, for 2,500 guineas. Edingale Lady in White had a black filly foal by Saredon Emperor. The foal was sold in March 1985 and went abroad. She also had a colt foal by Oberon in July 1986. This colt was called Whittington and served with the Royal Household Cavalry until he went to Sir John Miller in 1993. Edingale Lady in White was put down at the Royal Paddocks, Hampton Court, on 28^th November 1986.

It is hard to imagine the emotions suffered by Jos and his faithful Head Man, George Duggins, as they watched their horses being led away from the sale on that April day in 1984. All that is left today of Edingale House Farm is a large barn, at one end of which is a weather vane in the shape of a Shire horse.

It is impossible to overstate the influence of Jos Holland in preserving and furthering the Shire. Perhaps the final accolade came from Roy Bird who was Secretary of the Shire Horse Society at the time of the sale: in his foreword to the sale catalogue he wrote: "Jos Holland is one of the most knowledgeable and respected breeders in the world."

Joss Holland
Master of Edingale
1889 - 1986

Visit the book review section for this superb photographic record of Shire horses from nearly a century ago

Click Here or send an email to nextissue@thejoyofhorses.com to be notified when the next issue of the magazine is published