A well known figure in the equestrian world has died.

Ken Lyndon-Dykes from The Quay at Conyer, near Sittingbourne, was the owner of Saddleworld, the equestrian shop based at Church Farm at Ulcombe.

He was internationally renown for his expertise in fitting saddles for horses, and had written extensively on the subject.

He helped the Society of Master Saddlers devise the course examinations for those seeking to become professional master saddlers and he served as the society's president in 2016.

A spokesman for the society described Mr Lyndon-Dykes as "a visionary in the saddlery industry" and said: "Ken was vocal when it came to continuing to improve standards. Throughout his life he encouraged and supported both qualified saddlers and saddle fitters to be passionate about their roles and careers, helping to ensure saddlery work and skills were maintained to high standards at all times."

Ironically, Mr Lyndon-Dykes became involved in the saddle industry literally by accident.

His other abiding passion had been aviation - he was a qualified pilot on both light aircraft and jets.

In 1972, he was involved in a plane crash at the British Air Race in which he broke his back and was left seemingly paralysed from the waist down.

Until that point he had been the right-hand man to Robert Maxwell in the media mogul's publishing empire.

But he would later tell how the Daily Mirror tycoon visited him in hospital clutching an empty paper bag that had contained grapes that Maxwell had eaten on the way in.

Maxwell eyed him up and down and said: "Well Ken, it looks like we're through. I hope you put aside a nice lot of the money I have paid you over the years."

He was sacked.

Doctors told him Mr Lyndon-Dykes that he would never walk again, but with what his son described as "typical bloody mindedness", he refused to accept the diagnosis and devised his rehabilitation programme.

He did walk again, and by 1974 was even able to ride. By 1981, he had become a champion three-day-event rider.

He simultaneously developed a retail business called Kent Leather Distributors, which became a chain of 56 stores and also had concessions within major stores such as Lillywhites and Swaine Adeney Brigg.

He also bought and sold a number of other businesses - he was the owner of Screwfix in an early stage of its evolution.

He sold the Kent Leather Distributors in 1999, keeping only the saddle side of the business, which he re-branded as Saddle World.

'He lived nine lives every day'

Despite his accident, he retained an interest in aviation and was part owner of a L-39 jet that in 2002 crash landed on the M11 motorway after its brakes failed when attempting to land at Duxford airfield.

Mr Lyndon-Dyke's friend and co-partner in the aircraft, Gary Clark, 46, from Potters Bar, was killed in the accident, but surprisingly no vehicles on the motorway were struck.

At times Mr Lyndon-Dyke owned a former MIG fighter and two former Red Arrow trainer jets.

He married only once to Hilary Wooten, who was related to the Cadbury chocolate family.

Their ceremony was featured on a BBC TV programme about society weddings, but the marriage was short lived, ending in divorce, and was without children.

Mr Lyndon-Dykes however had fathered a child out of wedlock in 1966. The boy, Andrew, was put up for adoption and Mr Lyndon-Dykes never saw his son again until 38 years later, when Andrew sought out his natural father.

Andrew Lyndon-Dykes said: "I was very nervous. As it happened, his parents were visiting him at the time, so I met my father and my grandparents for the first time on the same day. It went wonderfully well."

Father and son discovered they shared a common passion - as Andrew was also a qualified jet pilot.

Describing his father, Andrew Lyndon-Dykes said: "It was like he was powered by fireworks. He lived nine lives every day. You would never ever forget him once you had met him."

Ken Lyndon-Dukes died from a sepsis of unknown origin that caused multiple organ failure, on Sunday, February 27. He was 81.

"A great shock'

His son said: "His death was a great shock."

There will be a funeral service for family and close friends only at Ulcombe Church on April 8.

A wider memorial thanks-giving service for his life will be held later this year at a date yet to be announced.