09 October 2009 Dudley Moore
by Carolyn Tanner
St Peter's Church in Coggeshall was packed on Thursday for the funeral service and celebration of the life of Dudley Moore, who died last month at the age of 80.
And celebration it truly was, with the tone being set by the organist, who can seldom, if ever, have been asked to play "D-ye Ken John Peel" prior to a coffin entering the church! There was much laughter during the service from the congregation, among which were countless friends and colleagues from the worlds of hunting and Point-to-Pointing, as firstly his boyhood friend and sailing compatriot John Buck recalled tales of derring-do from the early days, and later when son Tim stepped up to the pulpit with his own reflections on his father's life as a parent.
There were readings also from sons Jeremy and Anthony, and grandson Oliver.
Dudley was at various times owner, rider and breeder of Point-to-Pointers, with Midsummer Gladness being the best horse to carry the familiar colours of "light blue with brown sash." The mare won nine races, including a Hunter Chase, in the late eighties.
Dudley's own race-riding career yielded just one success, on National Hero in 1975, but Tim, the second of his three sons, managed 97 between the flags before injury forced him into retirement.
Assisted in no small way by Wendy, his wife of 53 years, Dudley was secretary of the Essex Farmers & Union's Easter Monday meeting at Marks Tey, and was also a very generous sponsor in the East Anglian area through his family-owned company, the County Linen Service, with which he was still heavily involved ("despite retiring several times!" pointed out Tim) up until his death.
Dudley will be sorely missed by the East Anglian Pointing fraternity, and the thoughts of all supporters will be with his family at this time.
