‘Royals, prime opponents and well-known folks all needed his boots’: farewell to celebrated bootmaker

Rudolf Schnieder sadly handed away peacefully on 17 February aged 87 years, following a brief sickness that he bore bravely.

Rudolf, recognized to his family and friends as Rolf, came visiting from Germany because the third era of Schnieder bootmakers. He labored at Maxwell Boots, earlier than promoting boots within the W&H Gidden’s retailer, London.

Quickly he discovered a manufacturing unit in Northampton and restarted making the well-known model Schnieder Boots. He discovered his iconic store at 16 Clifford Road, London, which grew to become the hub of his operation. Handmade boots, made in Northampton and bought in Mayfair.

Rolf had enthusiasm and perception. In 1992, he married Edna Hunnable. His stepson, Chris Hunnable, remembers coming residence from Vere Phillipps’ and describing a horse that he had seen. Rolf instantly piped up that anybody with that confidence would go to the Olympics.

At that stage of Chris’s profession, the Olympics have been a really unrealistic dream, however with the encouragement and help from each Rolf and Chris’s mom, it grew to become a actuality. Rolf went from power to power, making boots for folks all around the world.

The royals, prime opponents and well-known folks all needed his boots. He held a royal warrant from Her Majesty the Queen, he made jackboots for the Family Cavalry for over 30 years and as well as, made boots for riders in all equestrian Olympic disciplines.

He leaves his beloved spouse Edna, son and daughter, Michael and Martina, stepsons Martyn, Chris and Julian, and his many worldwide associates.

Rolf’s funeral service will happen on the Three Counties Crematorium, Braintree, on Monday, 11 March at 2.30pm. Household flowers solely please; donations, if desired, will be made in Rolf’s reminiscence to the British Coronary heart Basis or despatched to c/o Daniel Robinson & Sons, 31 Excessive Road, Halstead, Essex CO9 2AA.

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H&H information editor

Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Keen about equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all points of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of selection is showjumping, through which she competes her personal horses, and she or he additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping reveals by way of to worldwide championships.