13 Facts About Ewart Horsfall

Ewart Douglas Horsfall MC was a British rower who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Ewart Horsfall was a member of Liverpool's wealthy Horsfall family.

Ewart Horsfall was born in Liverpool, the son of Howard Douglas Ewart Horsfall and was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford.

Ewart Horsfall arrived at Oxford with an outstanding reputation as a rower and, in 1912, was in the winning Oxford boat in the Boat Race.

Ewart Horsfall joined Leander Club and was a member of the Leander eight, which won the gold medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Ewart Horsfall stroked Oxford in the Boat Race in 1913 and became the first stroke to win the Boat Race after being behind at Barnes Railway Bridge.

However, Oxford lost in 1914 when Ewart Horsfall rowed at number four.

Ewart Horsfall was the strokeman of the Leander eight, which won the silver medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics, coming within half a length of winning.

In 1947, Ewart Horsfall was elected a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta, and the following year, he was manager of the British Olympic Rowing team.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Ewart Horsfall joined the Rifle Brigade but later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps; He qualified as a pilot on 31 December 1914, and reached the rank of squadron leader.

Ewart Horsfall was in command of 58 Squadron later in the war and briefly in 3 Squadron in late 1917.

Ewart Horsfall was Mentioned in Dispatches and awarded the Military Cross and Chevalier in the Legion d'honneur in 1916 when he was a temporary second lieutenant and temporary captain.

Ewart Horsfall reached the rank of Major later in 1916 but became unfit for active service at times in 1917 and 1918.