Allegiance United Kingdom Years of service 1987-present | Name Simon Brooks-Ward Rank Major-general | |
Awards Royal Victorian Order, Order of the British Empire, Territorial Decoration | ||
Major General Simon Howe Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD is a British event organiser and Army Reserve officer who has served as Deputy Commander Land Forces since October 2015. Through his company, The HPower Group, he is most well known for organising large-scale equestrian events worldwide.
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Military career
Brooks-Ward was commissioned into the Royal Yeomanry on 4 October 1987. He served in the Iraq War as the Commanding Officer of the Royal Yeomanry, the only Army Reserve unit to receive a battle honour during the conflict. In 2004 he was awarded the Efficiency Decoration, and in 2005 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military) for services in Iraq and to defence. He was subsequently Colonel Yeomanry at Headquarters Royal Armoured Corps and Colonel TA Training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In January 2012 he was promoted to brigadier and was appointed Assistant Divisional Commander of 3rd (United Kingdom) Division in Bulford. In October 2015 he was promoted to major-general and took over as Deputy Commander Land Forces, the most senior position in the Army Reserve.
Event organiser
Brooks-Ward arranged his first major event at the age of 27, directing the Luciano Pavarotti horse show in Italy. He has subsequently become the director of the Olympia London International Horse Show and the Royal Windsor Horse Show, as well as numerous other major equestrian events.
In addition, Brooks-Ward has been involved in directing or producing the Royal Tournament, was the Equestrian Edvisor at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, the 2008 TA100 National Pageant, the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo and the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Pageant. His involvement in many British state ceremonial occasions led to him being honoured as a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2002. He was promoted to Commander in the same order in the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Honours in recognition of his services during the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
He is currently involved in organising national celebrations for the Queen's 90th birthday in May 2016.
Personal life
He is the son of Raymond Brooks-Ward, a notable show jumping commentator. He is married to Annabel and has three children and two step-children. He is known to be a close personal friend of the British Royal Family.