A HASLEMERE woman has been named in the Queen's birthday honours list. Publisher Marion O'Sullivan will receive an MBE for services to animal welfare and the publishng industry. Marion, whose family established Horse and Rider magazine and Pony magazine, still works closely with the publications but is now the non-executive director of a Grayshott-based company, DJ Murphy. She will be presented with the award within the next six months. She said: "I was totally taken by surprise by this great honour, as I feel that I have not done anything special at all. It has been a source of great pleasure to me to have been so involved for so many years in publishing, equestrianism and equine charities, and I hope that I will be able to do so for many years to come." DJ Murphy (Publishers) Limited was founded by Marion's father David Murphy in 1949, and she joined the business in 1951. Marion took on the overall management of the business in the 1960's until 1990, when she handed the reins to her daughter, Kate Austin. In January 2006 it became a subsidiary of Signature Publishing. But retirement appears to be the one word missing from Marion's vocabulary, who is still selling advertising space in Horse And Rider and Pony magazines at the age of 78. She is married to Bill, a retired consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. Their son, Michael, never got involved in the business, as a car accident at the age of four left him severely handicapped. They live next door to their daughter, Kate, in Haslemere. Marion has been actively involved as long term supporter of many charities, including in the 1970s helping to set up a new purpose-built indoor riding centre for disabled riders, in Carshalton, Surrey, The Diamond Centre for Disabled Riders. This was opened by The Princess Royal. She also persuaded top celebrities of the time, such as Roger Moore, to attend the annual Diamond Centre Horse Show. She continues to promote horse-related charities such as World Horse Welfare (formerly known as the ILPH), The Brooke and The Donkey Sanctuary in Wormley and still rides, despite a recent hip operation.
