Obituary: Farmer and Clydesdale horse ‘legend’, George Skinner of Strathorn, Inverurie
The 87-year-old would tour the north-east with a mobile classroom educating kids on where their food came from.
Clydesdale horse “legend” and popular North-east farmer, George Massie Skinner, of Strathorn near Inverurie, has died aged “87 and a half”.
The father-of-three was known for his involvement with the Lourin Fair, supporting carriage driving to those with disabilities, and educating children with farm visits and a mobile classroom.
Farm life at Strathorn is the only life George knew
George was born on October 23 1938 in Chapel of Garioch, to farming parents Daniel Albert Skinner and his wife Jeannie Livingstone Skinner (nee Massie). He moved to Strathorn Farm when he was six months old with his twin brother John, and older siblings Daniel, and twin sisters Margaret and Jean.
He attended Old Rayne Primary School, then Inverurie Academy, but left school at 15 to work alongside his family on the farm.
A bustling farm with chicken, calves, a milk cow and pigs for fattening, there was plenty of work for a young George to do.
Helped by horses – until tractors took over in the late 50s – George also did work for neighbouring farmers.
Young Farmer George met his Broughty Ferry girl, Ruth
Very involved in the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) in Garioch, George was a member of the winning speech-making team and progressed to club leader and eventually regional chairman.
In the late 60s, George met teacher’s daughter Ruth Arnold from Broughty Ferry.
“I didn’t grow up on a farm but, we went to a farm for holidays, and loved the life.
“When I met George, he was rearing pigs. I eventually moved, joined the Young Farmers and we got together,” said Ruth.
The couple married in 1970 in Aberdeen, and moved into Strathorn Farm, allowing George’s parents to retire.
George and Ruth grew their family, adding three sons: Derek, in 1972, Bruce in ’75 and Graham in 1976.
Lourin Fair started again by George
Diversifying, George stopped rearing pigs and turned his piggery into a building to rear calves. Some years later, the cattle were traded for horses, and the cattle shed turned into stables.
“George was very community-minded,” said Ruth. “He was chairman of the St Lawrence Community Hall in Old Rayne and was one of the people who restarted the Lourin Fair.
“Every year they did fundraisers for the hall, and one year it was decided the old horse fair could be restarted.
“Before the war, it was a big event, and drew lots of people to a horse market.
“We had to borrow a horse for the first one, and that’s really where our journey of becoming a farm with stables began.”
Carriage driving and riding school
Coinciding with the first fair, George had rebuilt the road between Strathorn and Old Rayne, and after the local authority tarred it, an opening ceremony was held.
“We took a horse-drawn coach with the Lord Lieutenant down to the village to cut the tape and officially open the road, and the fair,” said Ruth.
“After that, we wanted to carry on the horse tradition. Instead of borrowing a horse, in 1977 we bought one, and that was the first horse back on the farm.
“It was a black and white pony which we drove, then we introduced Clydesdales.
“I even started carriage driving. One of the girls working with us said there were kids in the village who would like to learn to ride.
“That’s how we started the riding school, then eventually we launched carriage driving for the disabled through RDA. That was 40 years ago and it’s still going strong.
“It was something George was very proud of.”
‘He wasn’t as fit as he used to be’
Like many farmers experience, there were some tough times over the years for George and Strathorn.
“At one time we had 500 head of beef cattle,” explained Ruth. “Then the BSE crisis hit and the bottom fell out the market.
“That was a really difficult time. We reduced our numbers drastically.”
The need to diversify sparked George’s entrepreneurial side. The “horse side” of the business continued to flourish.
As well as the 30 horses owned by the couple, Strathorn also has private livery.
“Latterly, it was just George and Derek, and our other son Graham has been learning the ropes too.
[Source: Press and Journal]
