Sefton (horse) - The IRA Bombing

The IRA Bombing

On 20 July 1982 at 10:40am Sefton was en route to the traditional Changing of the Guard, with 15 other horses from his regiment. A car-mounted nail bomb planted by the IRA detonated on South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park, hitting the formation of horses and riders from the Blues and Royals.

Two soldiers were killed on the scene, with two further soldiers dying of their wounds later. The blast injured all the horses, seven of them so badly that they were shot on the scene to relieve their suffering. Sefton and eight of his stablemates also sustained injuries, although Sefton's were the most serious of the surviving horses. A second explosion two hours later in Regents Park killed another seven soldiers.

Sefton's injuries were serious: they included a severed jugular vein, wounded left eye, and 34 wounds over his body. His rider Trooper Michael Pedersen noted that Sefton responded so competently that when the bomb exploded there was no chance of his being thrown. After dismounting, Pedersen, who was still in full state kit and in severe shock, could do little to help Sefton.

The sound of the explosion alerted a number of soldiers still in the barracks, and many of them ran to the scene, including regimental commander Andrew Parker Bowles and veterinary officer, Major Noel Carding. Another soldier, on orders from the officers, took off his shirt and used it to apply pressure to Sefton's severe neck wound,

Sefton was the worst injured and I knew that we had to get him back if there was to be any chance of saving him

—Major Noel Carding, Veterinary Officer of the Household Cavalry, and one of the first on scene

Due to the severity of his wounds, Sefton was led in to the first horsebox to arrive on scene, where he was driven to the barracks along with Major Carding, Farrier-Major Brian Smith and three other troopers holding Sefton. Carding ordered the horsebox to the forge, rather than the stables, due to its proximity. Here, Carding began 90 minutes of emergency operation to save Sefton's life - the first of the British Army's veterinary officers to operate on war-like wounds to a cavalry horse in more than half a century - whilst also directing care of the other wounded horses prior to the arrival of civilian vets to assist.

Carding, the civilian vets, farriers and troopers managed to save all of the horses who were brought back to barracks from the explosion scene.

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