[1] In January 2007, Ryan's Son joined John Whitaker in being inducted into The British Horse Society Equestrian Hall of Fame.
[2] In 2020 he was named as one of the greatest horses of all time by Country Life with Ryan's Son being noted for "a distinctive white blaze, a swishing tail and a habit of bucking violently after the last fence that was beloved by the public.
It was off-putting, though, if the audience clapped after a difficult combination in the middle of a round, because he bucked then too, which would put you wrong for the next fence.
[7] He also said "Ryan's Son got me to the top and changed our lives"[8] The horse and teenage John bonded immediately, becoming the team to beat at local shows around Huddersfield.
However, three hours later, in a private stable of the master of Hickstead, Douglas Bunn, and with the vet in attendance, Ryan's Son collapsed suddenly and died, probably from an internal haemorrhage.