C. P. Harris

IN tribute to Christopher Patrick Harris (VR, June 30, 2012, vol 170, p 679), Tim Greet, Sidney Ricketts, Nick Wingfield Digby, Richard Payne and Greg Parsons write: The recent death of Chris Harris after a short illness sees the end of an era in equine practice in Hertfordshire. Chris was born in Exeter in 1943, the only child of John and Patricia. John worked as a draughtsman in a construction firm and the family moved to Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, when Chris was 11 years old. Though of very modest means his parents were determined that Chris should have a good education and sacrificed much to send him to Berkhamsted School, where he was a prefect in Cox House.

Not particularly academic he was extremely hard working, self-motivated and driven. He rowed in a successful school coxed-four with Robin Knox-Johnston, who subsequently became an internationally known sailor. He was also a sergeant in the school Combined Cadet Force, and was responsible for the school's 25-pound gun weighing 2.5 …