Jack Seely (1868–1947)

General Jack Seely was placed in command during WWI of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade which was composed of Lord Strathcona’s Horse, The Royal Canadians, The Royal Canadian Dragoons, Fort Garry Horse, and the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. Born and bred on the Seely estate on the Isle of Wight, Warrior was a courageous and intelligent bay Thoroughbred who walked off the troop ship at Le Havre, France with General Seely in August 1914 and returned to his home at the Isle of Wight at Christmas 1918. Of the 1,000,000 horses sent to the front by the British, only 100,000 returned. Warrior was so beloved by the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, he was known as the horse the Germans couldn’t kill. In the fullness of time, Warrior grew old and relied on supplemental corn to maintain body condition but in 1941 when Britain was forced to ration corn, Seely made the decision that Warrior be humanely put down and the body used for material for the war effort. It was a sad end for a noble horse. "… (més)