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British Polio Fellowship Win a Rocking Horse
Huddersfield, United Kingdom
All or nothing
This project needs 100% of its target
Aim
Win an antique rocking horse and support the British Polio Fellowship
. Neddy is an example of a Victorian rocking horse hand carved by the company J.R & T Smith at the turn of the nineteenth century. J.R & T Smith were founded in 1886 in Liverpool. They traded out of a factory in London, supplying renowned retailers such as Gamages of London. The company ceased production in 1916 after suffering catastrophic losses during the war and their factory being destroyed during the London blitz. This makes Smith horses quite rare and they are particularly prized by collectors.
The photographs above describe Neddy’s transformation from his rescue from the attic to being restored to his former beauty.
* Neddy was with his last family for around sixty years and was much loved not only by the family, but also by local children who would regularly visit to have a ride on him. At that time he resided in the hallway of the house and the front door would be left open so that children could rock on him.
The Aim:
To raise funds for the British Polio Fellowship through offering the opportunity to win a restored antique rocking horse.
The Project:
My interest in restoring rocking horses began in 2025 when an injury left me unable to care for my own horses. I entered a raffle to win a rocking horse which had been beautifully restored by Ellen Wilkinson but was not lucky enough to become this horse’s new owner. However, a rocking horse came up for sale locally which I bought and restored for charity. Neddy’s family made contact after this to ask whether I wanted to do another charitable restoration. When I saw the photos of a much loved but very neglected Neddy in the attic, I knew that I had to bring him back to life as beneath the bad paint job was a very special rocking horse.
The Prize:
Neddy appears to have been first restored (very crudely) in around 1920. He had sustained damage to his head which had been repaired using a metal plate to hold the pieces together. This plate has been retained in the restoration but the cracks have been filled to strengthen the repair and remove the ugly gash that blighted his face. It is believed he was salvaged to prevent him from being used as firewood in the austerity following WW1.
Neddy had been over painted with white and black emulsion and a type of black ‘tar’ or creosote had been used on the safety stand. The creosote has been hand stripped and replaced with a lovely oak stain, the stand waxed and varnished and the brass ‘bowler hats’ stripped and polished.
Neddy retained all his original gesso (a type of plaster made from animal glue which makers used to create a smooth, marble finish) and some of his original paintwork is still evident on his belly. He has been repainted following his original dapples and a shellac and varnish coat applied to preserve the paintwork.
Neddy’s original saddle had been covered with a rabbit skin, foam and material replacement. This was removed revealing the remains of the original saddle beneath. This had been flocked using off cuts from the cotton mills as was typical at the time. Neddy’s new bespoke nut brown saddle and blue saddlecloth have been hand made by Jan Rusling and the original Victorian saddle retained underneath as a nod to Neddy’s heritage. Neddy’s original bridle was beyond repair and has been replaced, but he still retains his Victorian bit and the gingham reins given to him by previous generations.
Neddy had lost his flowing locks over time, so his mane and tail have been replaced using traditional cow hair tail used by contemporary makers. His original hair was chestnut, but he has been given a lovely silver black mane and tail to enhance his dapples.
Neddy is a medium sized horse and is sturdy enough to carry a lightweight adult rider. He still has an amazing rock and had sustained no structural damage to his body or legs making him as strong as the day he rolled out of the factory 140 years ago.
Neddy has been loved by countless children over the decades and is now looking for another family to love and cherish this unique and valuable heirloom horse.
Smith rocking horses are highly collectible with carving on a par with the more well known Edwardian and Victorian rocking horse makers such as Ayres and Lines. The fact that they were only in production for around thirty years (1886-1916) makes them increasingly rare heirloom pieces.
Neddy’s lucky new owners can collect him from his current stable in West Yorkshire or a courier can be arranged within the UK at the winners expense.
A note from Neddy’s family:
‘Neddy was a treasured family member for around 60 years, bringing joy not just to us, but to generations of other children too. Now it's time for him to be loved by someone new - we'll never forget him.
We are delighted that Neddy will be auctioned for the benefit of the British Polio Fellowship, which is an extremely worthy charity close to our hearts. It operates on limited resources but makes an important contribution to the lives of polio survivors.’
The Cause
The British Polio Fellowship is a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting and empowering people in the UK living with the late effects of polio and post-polio syndrome (PPS). We provide information, welfare, and support to enable individuals to live full, independent, and integrated lives, while also campaigning to raise awareness of their needs.
We have over 3,000 members across the UK and work through 50 branches and groups to reach polio survivors on the ground. We also provide advice and information about managing polio and PPS as well as supporting and assisting in benefit and welfare advice through our dedicated support service team.
This rocking horse has been gifted by a family who nominated The British Polio Fellowship as their chosen charity.
The horse has been professionally restored by Alison Garner free of charge but expenses have been reimbursed by the donor.
How to Enter
You can enter the prize draw by donating £5 for a single entry or buy multiple tickets to increase your chances of winning. There is no ceiling to the amount of entries you can gift.
The project will run from 12pm on 31.08.26 until 12pm on 30.09.26.
The draw will be made on 30.09.26 and winners will be notified via email. A response will be required within 7 days from notification.
The horse is located in the UK but is open to non-UK residents if they can organise international delivery.
Delivery is not included and will need to be organised by the winner of the draw. Free collection from Huddersfield is available and a list of appropriate transporters can be provided. Please be aware this is a large item and being an antique will require careful transportation.
The draw is open to entrants over 18.
Please note whilst rocking horses were originally made for children, they do not comply with current health and safety regulations (because they contain nails) so children will need to be supervised when using the horse.
Let’s find Neddy a home where he can continue to rock for the next 100 years! Good luck 🤞
Free Entry
- Free entry to the prize draw is available by post, and full details on how to enter for free are clearly displayed on the Crowdfunder project page.
- To enter by post, entrants must send their full name, contact details, and the name of the prize draw on a postcard or in an envelope with correctly paid postage.
- Entries must be sent via post and will not be accepted if delivered by hand.
- Entries with insufficient or incorrect postage will be void.
- Only one entry is permitted per envelope or postcard. Multiple entries within a single envelope will be disqualified.
- Free postal entries will be given an equal chance of winning as paid entries.
Help Spread the Word
Everyone loves a rocking horse so please share to help raise funds for the British Polio Fellowship!
Funding method
All or nothing – this project will only receive pledges if it reaches its target of £1,800 by 30th September 2026 at 12:00pm